The implementation of new agricultural technologies has become a driving force for cleaner production on smallholder farms. Particularly, identifying technologies could enhance the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural production, both of which are serious challenges. In this context, evaluating the adoption of certified seed and its impact on efficiency gains and waste reduction is highly fundamental for sustainable smallholder food production. This perspective was not always considered in previous studies. We address this research gap using cross-sectional data from wheat farmers in northern Kazakhstan. A multi-stage sampling procedure is employed while the sample-selection stochastic production frontier (SPF) is applied for a robust estimation. Results reveal that increased crop income, access to credit and education positively influence the adoption of certified seed while membership in cooperatives and distance from the market are negative determinants. We also find that adopters are 10.3% “cleaner in production” than non-adopters. A comparison was made between the conventional SPF and the sample-selection SPF to evaluate the credibility of the estimation. It was found that the estimates from the conventional SPF were biased by 10%. This study provides insights into two policy and scholarly questions, namely, how effective the adoption of certified seeds is in promoting cleaner production among wheat farmers and how it can be promoted among wheat farmers. Therefore, our study presents substantial empirical evidence to encourage investment in or to promote certified seed adoption in wheat production.
Despite the economic and food security importance of the Kazakh wheat sector, current statistics suggest a yield gap between actual and potential yields. In view of this, farmers, stakeholders and the government are looking for agricultural technologies to increase the output. To this end, adoption of certified seeds is being promoted. The reasoning is that certified seed is produced from seed of known genetic origin and genetic purity, in a controlled and tested manner, processed and declared in accordance with the Law on Seeds and thus, could aid in producing maximum obtainable output. Unfortunately, little is known on whether this could affect wheat production and technical efficiency more than the conventional seed as such a subject has never benefitted from empirical analysis. To begin to fill this research gap, data from smallholder farms in Kazakhstan is used to evaluate the impact of adoption on technical efficiency by applying the stochastic production frontier. Results indicate that adoption of certified seed has productivity effects. Precisely, adopters are 20% more efficient than their counterparts. To a large extent, this is attributable to the quality of seeds used. Therefore, our study demonstrates the importance of certified seed adoption and accentuates the role governments can play in ensuring seed quality for enhanced technical efficiency.
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