TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY AND THE EFFECTS OF R&D IN AFRICAN AGRICULTURE

Abstract

This paper calculates multilateral Malmquist indices of total factor productivity (TFP) for agriculture in 47 African countries, for the period 1961±91. The average rate of TFP growth was found to be 1.27 per cent, which is higher than expected, given the pessimistic nature of much of the literature. There is some evidence of convergence in productivity levels, as the countries with low starting levels grew more rapidly. Population pressure on the land also appears to be a major explanation of faster growth, as has been suggested by Boserup and by Hayami and Ruttan's induced innovation hypothesis. However, ®tting deterministic and stochastic frontier models shows that the eect of agricultural R&D on TFP growth is also positive and signi®cant.

Investigating Spatial Dependence and Spatial Spillovers in African Agricultural Total Factor Productivity Growth

“…Rwanda is a cold spot at the 1% level of significance and Burundi is a cold spot at the 5% level of significance. These results shown in Figure 2 are consistent with previously reported meager productivity in Central Africa and higher productivity seen in the North and West Africa regions (see Fulginiti, Perrin, & Yu, 2004; Nin-Pratt & Yu, 2008; Nkamleu, 2004; Lusigi & Thirtle, 1997; Rezek et al, 2011).…”

Tropical Agriculture: Is Africa Different?

“…With respect to agricultural inputs, we find that the coefficients on fertilizer consumption, tractors and irrigation are positive and significant at the 0.01 level, while the point estimate on rainfall is positive and significant at the 0.05 level. The finding that fertilizer consumption is positively related to agricultural productivity is consistent with Lusigi and Thirtle (), who find a similar result in a sample of 47 African countries from 1961 to 1991. The results on tractor usage are also unsurprising.…”

Agricultural R&D, technology and productivity

“…Up to 1985, TFP declined at 1.67 per cent per annum but then grew at 1.73 per cent, with a further improvement to 1.83 per cent in the 1990s. This is in keeping with earlier Malmquist results, such as Lusigi & Thirtle (1997) , although the technique may be inclined to have an upward bias.

Figure 3.

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