Smallholders' Cost Efficiency in Mozambique: Implications for Improved Maize Seed Adoption

Helder Zavale, Edward T. Mabaya and Ralph D. Christy

No 25648, 2006 Annual Meeting, August 12-18, 2006, Queensland, Australia from International Association of Agricultural Economists

Abstract: Maize is an important staple in Mozambique. It is also a dominant crop produced by smallholder farmers. However, the actual maize yields, currently estimated at 1.4 tons/ha, fall short of potential yields of 5-6.5 tons/ha. With population growth rate increasingly exceeding agricultural (and maize) productivity growth rate, the government of Mozambique faces a serious problem of food insecurity and poverty alleviation. This study examines cost inefficiency among smallholder maize farmers in Mozambique, and the impact of improved maize seed adoption on cost efficiency. A Translog functional form is used to estimate the frontier cost function. A cost-inefficiency function is used to examine the factors that determine cost inefficiency among farmers. Econometric techniques to control for self-selection bias resulting from endogeneity of the adoption variable are used.

Keywords: Crop; Production/Industries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 16
Date: 2006
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:iaae06:25648

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.25648

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