Analysis of factors affecting the technical efficiency of cocoa farmers in the Offinso district -Ashanti region, Ghana

Abstract

This paper analysed the factors that affect the technical efficiency of cocoa farmers in the Offinso district in Ghana. The study also analysed the basic determinants of technical efficiency, as well as the socio-economic variables that affect their performances. Primary data was collected through the administration of questionnaires. Stata statistical tool was used to estimate the stochastic production frontier function and the inefficiency determinants based on socioeconomic variables of individual farmers. Analyses showed that the model of the production functions were statistically significant at 0.00. Input factors studied include labour, quantity of fertilizer, pesticides, modern equipments, age of trees and farm sizes. Out of the above, labour and age of trees were not significant. Also, the estimate of inefficiency component showed that, in the exception of the age of farmers, most of the specific characteristics were not significant. It is recommended that the ability to use and adjust properly, factors such as labour, capital and age of farms would lead to increase in output. Also, inefficiency would decrease drastically if variables such as; educational level, farming experience and family size of the farmer are increased.

Comparative technical efficiency of insured and uninsured cocoa farm operators in Ondo State, Nigeria

“…This indicates that the more educated the farmers were, the more technically efficient they were. This conforms to a priori expectation and is in line with previous findings (Amos, 2007;Kyei et al, 2011). Table 2 also shows that the coefficient of membership of cooperative was significant at 5% and negatively related to technical inefficiency (hence, positively influenced the technical efficiency) of the uninsured farm operators.…”

“…While many studies have focused on analysing technical efficiency of cocoa farmers in general (Amos, 2007;Nyemeck Binam et al, 2008;Kyei et al, 2011), none of them has attempted to make a comparative analysis of technical efficiency of insured and uninsured cocoa farm activities in particular. This is a research gap which this study was designed to fill.…”

Investment in Cocoa Planting and Rehabilitation by Cocoa Farmers in Nigeria

“…The results is an indication that majority of the farmers were ageing. The result also corroborates the findings of Kyei et al (2011) and Idowu et al (2007) which revealed that 65% and 68% of cocoa farmers in Ashanti Region in Ghana and southwest Nigeria respectively were over 50 years of age. None of the farmers was less than 20 years of age while only 4.1% were between the age of 21 to 30 years, This also indicates that less youth were taking part in cocoa farming.…”

The Economic Analysis of Resource Used Efficiency for Cocoa Production in Cameroon: The Case Study of Lekie Division

“…In particular, the increased use of pesticides makes it possible to control insects and brown rot which generally attack cocoa. This result is similar to that found in Ghana by Kyei, Gordon and Ankoh [21]. These researchers had shown that the increase in pesticide quantities in cocoa fields in the Offinso district of Ghana had a positive effect on cocoa production.…”