Stochastic Meta Frontier Analysis of Smallholder Rice Farmers’ Technical Efficiency

Abstract

The aim of this study is to compare the technical efficiency of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and Conventional Rice Production System (CRPS) farmers in Mali. Using cross-sectional data for 208 randomly selected rice farmers, the Stochastic Meta Frontier model is applied. The results indicate that the mean technical efficiency is 0.96 and 0.79 for SRI and CRPS respectively. This implies that SRI farmers were more technically efficiency than their counterpart. Similarly, the mean technology gap ratio was 0.98 and 0.91 for SRI and CRPS farmers, respectively. We also find that rice paddy production (SRI) was positively influenced by labor and negatively by organic manure while rice paddy production (CRPS) was positively linked with inorganic fertilizer and land. Further investigation reveals that family labor and flooding level increased the technical inefficiency for SRI adopters whereas education had a negative impact. For the CRSP farmers, the current factors were unable to account for technical inefficiency except age of farm household head. Our study finds strong cause to encourage SRI adoption as it could be the highly searched for solution for farmers to increase their yields and eventually enhance their food security status.

Technical Efficiency and Technological Gaps of Rice Production in Anambra State, Nigeria

“…This study uses Huang et al's [40] stochastic meta-frontier model applied in Ng'ombe [22] and Mariko et al [23] to estimate the optimal output potentials of the rice farming industry in Awka North of Anambra State, Nigeria. The meta-frontier is used to investigate the TE of rice producers facing different production functions in the study area.…”

“…For example, a descriptive study by Umar et al [18] examined how entrepreneurship and innovation by farmers improve lowland rice farming in Mattiro Ade, Patampanua District, Pinrang Regency, and South Sulawesi Province. Another study by Mariko et al [23] compared the TE of a system of rice intensification (SRI) and conventional rice production system (CRPS) in Mali by applying SMF techniques. Mariko et al [23] found that mean TE was 0.96 and 0.79 for SRI and CRPS, respectively, while the mean TGR was 0.98 and 0.91 for SRI and CRPS, respectively, with industrial TE averaging 0.858.…”

“…Another study by Mariko et al [23] compared the TE of a system of rice intensification (SRI) and conventional rice production system (CRPS) in Mali by applying SMF techniques. Mariko et al [23] found that mean TE was 0.96 and 0.79 for SRI and CRPS, respectively, while the mean TGR was 0.98 and 0.91 for SRI and CRPS, respectively, with industrial TE averaging 0.858. Their study further found that labor, farm size, and fertilizer are the significant variables to the meta-frontier, while determinants of technical inefficiency were gender, age, level of education, and farming experience.…”

Does Credit Influence Fertilizer Intensification in Rice Farming? Empirical Evidence from Côte D’Ivoire

“…In terms of yields per hectare, a relevant number of studies carried out in the country have shown that the paddy rice productivity at the farm-level is still low in Côte d'Ivoire [1][2][3][4][5]. The national paddy yield is 2.3 t ha −1 for all paddy rice production systems combined [3], while the average yields per hectare in some sub-region countries such as Mali range from 5.6 t ha −1 to 6.7 t ha −1 [6]. Although paddy rice production increases over the years, this increase is less proportional than the area cultivated.…”

What Influences Rice Farmers’ Choices of Credit Sources in Côte d’Ivoire? An Econometric Analysis using the Multinomial Conditional Logit Model

“…Compared with some countries in Sub-Saharan africa, the national yield average of paddy rice, which is estimated at 2.3 t/ha, remains low (Saito et al, 2019). For instance, Mariko et al (2019) report a rice yield ranging from 5.6 t/ha to 6.7 t/ha in Mali.…”