Improving Irrigation Water Use Efficiency of Robusta Coffee ( Coffea canephora ) Production in Lam Dong Province, Vietnam

Duyen Nhat Lam Tran, Tien Dinh Nguyen, Thuy Thu Pham, Roberto F. Rañola and Thinh An Nguyen
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Duyen Nhat Lam Tran: VNU School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Tien Dinh Nguyen: VNU University of Economics and Business, Vietnam National University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Thuy Thu Pham: Center for International Forestry Organization Research (CIFOR), Bogor 16115, Indonesia
Roberto F. Rañola: College of Economics and Management, University of the Philippines Los Baños 4031, Philippines
Thinh An Nguyen: VNU University of Economics and Business, Vietnam National University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 12, 1-17

Abstract: Recent prolonged dry periods and lack of irrigation water have severely affected the productivity of coffee farms in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. This paper analyzes the efficiency of irrigation water use for Robusta coffee ( Coffea canephora ) in the Lam Dong province. A Cobb–Douglas production function was used to determine coffee productivity’s response to the application of irrigation water and other production factors using data collected from 194 farmers, while the technical efficiency (TE) and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) were analyzed using a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model. The correlation of different factors to IWUE was determined using the Tobit model. The production function analysis using Cobb–Douglas shows that the volume of irrigation water, amount of working capital, labor, and farm size significantly influence coffee productivity. Indigenous farmers are more efficient in utilizing irrigation water than migrant farmers. The Tobit result indicates that farmers’ experience, education level, the distance of farm to water sources, security of access to water sources, extension contact, and credit access significantly affect IWUE. The study findings further suggest that mitigating water shortages in coffee farms require subregional and national policy support such as better access to credit and extension services, training, land management, and household-level efforts to improve farming practices through the application of appropriate technologies and traditional knowledge.

Keywords: data envelopment analysis; efficiency; irrigation water; Robusta coffee; Central Highlands of Vietnam (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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