Scale efficiency of maize farmers in four agro ecological zones of Ghana: A parametric approach

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dc.contributor.authorWongnaa, C. A.
dc.contributor.authorAwunyo-Vitor, Dadson
dc.date.accessioned2021-01-05T12:13:04Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-04-19T02:36:46Z
dc.date.available2021-01-05T12:13:04Z
dc.date.available2023-04-19T02:36:46Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.descriptionThis article is published in Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences and also available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jssas.2017.08.003en_US
dc.description.abstractThe study analyzed scale efficiency parametrically for Ghana’s smallholder maize farms. The data used was obtained through a cross-sectional survey of 576 maize farmers in the Guinea Savannah, Transition, Forest and Coastal Savannah zones of Ghana using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Ray’s (1998) proposed stochastic frontier analysis approach were the methods of analysis employed. The results showed that the mean scale efficiencies were 86%, 91%, 89% and 86% for the Guinea Savannah, Transition, Forest and Coastal Savannah zones respectively, indicating that generally, scale inefficiencies existed in maize farms in the four agro ecological zones. The results further showed that most maize farmers in each zone exhibit increasing returns to scale, indicating that their outputs fall below efficient levels and therefore their output could be increased for optimal scales to be reached. Finally, the results revealed that scale efficiency is explained by educational level, maize farming experience, access to good roads and ready markets, group membership, extension contact, household size, land fragmentation as well as uses of fertilizer, pesticides and improved seeds. For scale efficiency to be improved, maize farmers in the various agro ecological zones of Ghana are encouraged to employ more of the production inputs available to them. For the farmers to be able to employ more of these inputs, cost of production inputs could be subsidized and credit could be given to them by government.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipKNUSTen_US
dc.identifier.citationJournal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciencesen_US
dc.identifier.uri10.1016/j.jssas.2017.08.003
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir.knust.edu.gh/handle/123456789/13293
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherJournal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciencesen_US
dc.subjectParametric estimationen_US
dc.subjectScale efficiencyen_US
dc.subjectMaizeen_US
dc.subjectAgro ecological zoneen_US
dc.titleScale efficiency of maize farmers in four agro ecological zones of Ghana: A parametric approachen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
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