The efficiency of maize farming in Malawi. A bootstrapped translog frontier

Hardwick Tchale () and Johannes Sauer
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Hardwick Tchale: Worldbank and University of Malawi, Bunda College,P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi
Johannes Sauer: University of Copenhagen, Institute for Food and Resource Economics, Rolighedsvej 25, 1958 Copenhagen, Denmark

Cahiers d'Economie et Sociologie Rurales, 2007, vol. 82-83, 33-56

Abstract: We measure the level and determinants of technical efficiency of maize based smallholder farmers using a bootstrapped translog stochastic frontier that is a posteriori checked for functional consistency. The results show that higher levels of technical efficiency are obtained when farmers use integrated soil fertility options compared to the use of inorganic fertilizer only. With respect to the policy variables considered in the analysis, access to agricultural input and output markets, credit provision and extension services strongly influence smallholders’ technical efficiency. There is a need to strengthen these public policy issues in order to effectively address the efficiency of Malawian agriculture and its impact on poverty by ensuring sustainable soil fertility management.

Keywords: smallholder agriculture; bootstrapped frontier; soil fertility management; Malawi (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:rae:jouces:v:82-83:y:2007:p:33-56

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