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Analysis of factors influencing the technical efficiency of smallholder maize farmers in northern province, Zambia

This study investigated the efficiency of smallholder farmers in Northern Province, Zambia. The research utilized data collected in 2014/2015, which was representative of the province and gathered by the Institute for Agricultural Policy Research Institute in collaboration with the Zambia Statistica...

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Main Author: Mumba, Elijah
Other Authors: Conradie, Beatrice
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: School of Economics 2024
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access_status_str Open Access
author Mumba, Elijah
author2 Conradie, Beatrice
author_browse Conradie, Beatrice
Mumba, Elijah
author_facet Conradie, Beatrice
Mumba, Elijah
author_sort Mumba, Elijah
collection Thesis
description This study investigated the efficiency of smallholder farmers in Northern Province, Zambia. The research utilized data collected in 2014/2015, which was representative of the province and gathered by the Institute for Agricultural Policy Research Institute in collaboration with the Zambia Statistical Agency and Ministry of Agriculture. To assess technical efficiency, a stochastic production function with a translog functional form was developed. The model included four characteristics related to the farms and farmers, as well as three institutional variables, all of which were found to be statistically significant. The efficiency levels observed ranged from 0.02 to 0.93, with a median value of 0.67. The findings indicated that the primary factors influencing total output were the extent of cultivated land, followed by the use of fertilizers. The empirical analysis demonstrated that access to credit, extension services, and farmer input support programs, as well as the distance between the household's residence and the farm, the gender, age, and educational level of the household head, all played vital roles in determining the technical efficiency at the farm level.
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:31:26.417Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
publishDateSort 2024
publisher School of Economics
publisherStr School of Economics
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/39710 Analysis of factors influencing the technical efficiency of smallholder maize farmers in northern province, Zambia Mumba, Elijah Conradie, Beatrice Economic Development This study investigated the efficiency of smallholder farmers in Northern Province, Zambia. The research utilized data collected in 2014/2015, which was representative of the province and gathered by the Institute for Agricultural Policy Research Institute in collaboration with the Zambia Statistical Agency and Ministry of Agriculture. To assess technical efficiency, a stochastic production function with a translog functional form was developed. The model included four characteristics related to the farms and farmers, as well as three institutional variables, all of which were found to be statistically significant. The efficiency levels observed ranged from 0.02 to 0.93, with a median value of 0.67. The findings indicated that the primary factors influencing total output were the extent of cultivated land, followed by the use of fertilizers. The empirical analysis demonstrated that access to credit, extension services, and farmer input support programs, as well as the distance between the household's residence and the farm, the gender, age, and educational level of the household head, all played vital roles in determining the technical efficiency at the farm level. 2024-05-27T08:42:43Z 2024-05-27T08:42:43Z 2023 2024-05-22T09:06:01Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MCom http://hdl.handle.net/11427/39710 eng application/pdf School of Economics Faculty of Commerce
spellingShingle Economic Development
Mumba, Elijah
Analysis of factors influencing the technical efficiency of smallholder maize farmers in northern province, Zambia
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Analysis of factors influencing the technical efficiency of smallholder maize farmers in northern province, Zambia
title_full Analysis of factors influencing the technical efficiency of smallholder maize farmers in northern province, Zambia
title_fullStr Analysis of factors influencing the technical efficiency of smallholder maize farmers in northern province, Zambia
title_full_unstemmed Analysis of factors influencing the technical efficiency of smallholder maize farmers in northern province, Zambia
title_short Analysis of factors influencing the technical efficiency of smallholder maize farmers in northern province, Zambia
title_sort analysis of factors influencing the technical efficiency of smallholder maize farmers in northern province zambia
topic Economic Development
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/39710
work_keys_str_mv AT mumbaelijah analysisoffactorsinfluencingthetechnicalefficiencyofsmallholdermaizefarmersinnorthernprovincezambia