Pub Date : 2021-06-30DOI: 10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).09
Philip Siminyu, W. Oluoch-Kosura, H. De Groote, Judith Syombua Mbau
Climate variability threatens farmers’ livelihoods. Efforts to address climate stress recognise climate-smart agriculture (CSA) as a promising approach to minimising the damage caused by increasing weather variability. However, the effect of CSA practices on the resilience of maize farmers in the face of climate variability is not well understood. This study assesses the effects of CSA practices on the resilience of maize farmers. Using primary data from 250 randomly sampled maize farmers in Kenya, a resilience index was generated and then analysed using a structural equation model. The results show that CSA practices increase the resilience of farmers, suggesting enhanced resilience to climate variability. CSA practices improve farmers’ food security and welfare, and their adoption should be promoted.
{"title":"Assessing the Contribution of Climate-smart Agriculture Practices on the Resilience of Maize Farmers in Bungoma County, Kenya","authors":"Philip Siminyu, W. Oluoch-Kosura, H. De Groote, Judith Syombua Mbau","doi":"10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).09","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).09","url":null,"abstract":"Climate variability threatens farmers’ livelihoods. Efforts to address climate stress recognise climate-smart agriculture (CSA) as a promising approach to minimising the damage caused by increasing weather variability. However, the effect of CSA practices on the resilience of maize farmers in the face of climate variability is not well understood. This study assesses the effects of CSA practices on the resilience of maize farmers. Using primary data from 250 randomly sampled maize farmers in Kenya, a resilience index was generated and then analysed using a structural equation model. The results show that CSA practices increase the resilience of farmers, suggesting enhanced resilience to climate variability. CSA practices improve farmers’ food security and welfare, and their adoption should be promoted.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46707852","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-06-30DOI: 10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).08
R. Owusu, S. Dadzie
Consumers are increasingly becoming very concerned about food safety, with many giving preference to organic food products over conventional food products, which make use of agrochemicals with potential implications for health. Furthermore, to make the food choice decisions even more complex, genetically modified (GM) foods have been introduced in an attempt to meet global food demand. Consumers therefore must make decisions regarding organic and GM foods. This paper investigates consumer heterogeneity for organic and GM tomatoes in Ghana using advanced discrete choice modelling techniques. The data for empirical application come from a choice experimental study conducted among 200 consumers in Ghana. Our econometric modelling revealed that the sampled consumers preferred organic tomatoes that are produced locally and certified by the Food and Drugs Authority. However, we find a likelihood that women and older consumers may have preferences for GM tomatoes with environmental and health benefits. Policy implications are drawn from the findings of the study.
{"title":"Heterogeneity in consumer preferences for organic and genetically modified food products in Ghana","authors":"R. Owusu, S. Dadzie","doi":"10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).08","url":null,"abstract":"Consumers are increasingly becoming very concerned about food safety, with many giving preference to organic food products over conventional food products, which make use of agrochemicals with potential implications for health. Furthermore, to make the food choice decisions even more complex, genetically modified (GM) foods have been introduced in an attempt to meet global food demand. Consumers therefore must make decisions regarding organic and GM foods. This paper investigates consumer heterogeneity for organic and GM tomatoes in Ghana using advanced discrete choice modelling techniques. The data for empirical application come from a choice experimental study conducted among 200 consumers in Ghana. Our econometric modelling revealed that the sampled consumers preferred organic tomatoes that are produced locally and certified by the Food and Drugs Authority. However, we find a likelihood that women and older consumers may have preferences for GM tomatoes with environmental and health benefits. Policy implications are drawn from the findings of the study.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46909743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-30DOI: 10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).06
Jonathan Makau Nzuma, Patrick Kipruto Kirui
This paper evaluates the extent to which changes in international wheat prices are transmitted to domestic markets in Kenya using an error correction model (ECM) that employs monthly producer price data for the period 2002 to 2020. Domestic wheat markets in Kenya were found to be strongly integrated while, international wheat markets were cointegrated with domestic prices at the port of Mombasa. The long-run elasticity of price transmission was estimated at 0.91, which implies that 91% of the changes in international wheat prices are transmitted to domestic markets in Kenya. The speed of adjustment was estimated at -0.069, which implies that it takes about 14 months for the changes in the international wheat price to be fully transmitted to the Kenyan domestic market. Wheat farmers in Kenya seem to be insulated from international price shocks given the long period of time it takes for domestic markets to adjust to international price changes. Even though not explicitly analysed, government border policies, market and infrastructure impediments seem to be underlying causes of the incomplete price pass-through, along with the low speeds of adjustments. Our analysis suggests that the main constraint to a complete pass-through is the existence of price-setting power at the producer level of the wheat market in Kenya. Investments in infrastructure development and the promotion of liberal trade policies can improve the transmission of international wheat price signals to domestic markets in Kenya.
{"title":"Transmission of global wheat prices to domestic markets in Kenya: A cointegration approach","authors":"Jonathan Makau Nzuma, Patrick Kipruto Kirui","doi":"10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).06","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).06","url":null,"abstract":"This paper evaluates the extent to which changes in international wheat prices are transmitted to domestic markets in Kenya using an error correction model (ECM) that employs monthly producer price data for the period 2002 to 2020. Domestic wheat markets in Kenya were found to be strongly integrated while, international wheat markets were cointegrated with domestic prices at the port of Mombasa. The long-run elasticity of price transmission was estimated at 0.91, which implies that 91% of the changes in international wheat prices are transmitted to domestic markets in Kenya. The speed of adjustment was estimated at -0.069, which implies that it takes about 14 months for the changes in the international wheat price to be fully transmitted to the Kenyan domestic market. Wheat farmers in Kenya seem to be insulated from international price shocks given the long period of time it takes for domestic markets to adjust to international price changes. Even though not explicitly analysed, government border policies, market and infrastructure impediments seem to be underlying causes of the incomplete price pass-through, along with the low speeds of adjustments. Our analysis suggests that the main constraint to a complete pass-through is the existence of price-setting power at the producer level of the wheat market in Kenya. Investments in infrastructure development and the promotion of liberal trade policies can improve the transmission of international wheat price signals to domestic markets in Kenya.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43754150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-30DOI: 10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).05
Kollie B. Dogba, Willis Oluoch Kosura, C. Chumo
To enrich agriculture reform and reap its benefits, policy makers need to localise policy issues within and across their domestic zones. Using a stochastic meta-frontier function, this study analysed the production efficiency of the cassava subsector of cassava growers from Bomi and Nimba counties in Liberia. The paper contributes to the domestication of agriculture policy issues within a country. The study found different scales of production returns for cassava growers in Bomi and Nimba counties. Farmer age, gender, household size and access to credit were key determinants of the technical gap ratio of the cassava subsector. The study recommends that relevant stakeholders (in a multistakeholder partnership) design a holistic approach of innovative finance (including microfinance, agriculture insurance and a grouped loan scheme) and social enterprise development that will encourage more women and young people to grow cassava efficiently for the higher productivity of the cassava subsector
{"title":"Stochastic meta-frontier function analysis of the regional efficiency and technology gap ratios (TGRs) of small-scale cassava producers in Liberia","authors":"Kollie B. Dogba, Willis Oluoch Kosura, C. Chumo","doi":"10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).05","url":null,"abstract":"To enrich agriculture reform and reap its benefits, policy makers need to localise policy issues within and across their domestic zones. Using a stochastic meta-frontier function, this study analysed the production efficiency of the cassava subsector of cassava growers from Bomi and Nimba counties in Liberia. The paper contributes to the domestication of agriculture policy issues within a country. The study found different scales of production returns for cassava growers in Bomi and Nimba counties. Farmer age, gender, household size and access to credit were key determinants of the technical gap ratio of the cassava subsector. The study recommends that relevant stakeholders (in a multistakeholder partnership) design a holistic approach of innovative finance (including microfinance, agriculture insurance and a grouped loan scheme) and social enterprise development that will encourage more women and young people to grow cassava efficiently for the higher productivity of the cassava subsector","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45330607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-30DOI: 10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).03
S. Phakathi, S. Sinyolo, Gcc Fraser, J. Marire
This paper analyses the heterogeneous effects of membership of a farmer group on access to water, use of inorganic fertiliser, household incomes, and farm asset holdings. A sample of 401 irrigators in South Africa was analysed using propensity score matching. The study found that group membership had a positive effect on all four outcomes. Group members had an extra four days of access to water in a month, and applied at least 130 kg/ha more inorganic fertiliser, than non-group members. Group members had a higher household income per capita and more assets than nongroup members. However, the result revealed a heterogeneous effect among group members, with the benefits varying according to members’ socio-economic characteristics as well as internal group dynamics. The government and private donors should continue to promote the formation and organisation of farmers into groups. The role of group membership in farming outcomes can be enhanced if smaller groups are promoted. It is also crucial that strategies for promoting trust, reciprocity and group commitment be implemented for better group outcomes
{"title":"Heterogeneous welfare effects of farmer groups in smallholder irrigation schemes in South Africa","authors":"S. Phakathi, S. Sinyolo, Gcc Fraser, J. Marire","doi":"10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).03","url":null,"abstract":"This paper analyses the heterogeneous effects of membership of a farmer group on access to water, use of inorganic fertiliser, household incomes, and farm asset holdings. A sample of 401 irrigators in South Africa was analysed using propensity score matching. The study found that group membership had a positive effect on all four outcomes. Group members had an extra four days of access to water in a month, and applied at least 130 kg/ha more inorganic fertiliser, than non-group members. Group members had a higher household income per capita and more assets than nongroup members. However, the result revealed a heterogeneous effect among group members, with the benefits varying according to members’ socio-economic characteristics as well as internal group dynamics. The government and private donors should continue to promote the formation and organisation of farmers into groups. The role of group membership in farming outcomes can be enhanced if smaller groups are promoted. It is also crucial that strategies for promoting trust, reciprocity and group commitment be implemented for better group outcomes","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41873179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-30DOI: 10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).04
Arnold Lumumbah Musungu, David Jakinda Otieno, Beatrice Wambui Muriithi, Rose N. Nyikal, D. Masiga, Michael Nyanganga Okal
African animal trypanosomiasis (AAT) and its vectors, mainly tsetse, are a major constraint to livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Control efforts have been ongoing for decades, but finding a sustainable solution remains a major concern. This paper assessed the complementarity and substitutability of existing AAT management methods to inform policies toward an integrated approach. A multivariate probit (MVP) analytical technique was used to model interrelationships in the control methods from 308 randomly selected livestock keepers. The results show that the current AAT control methods are complementary and not substitutes. Furthermore, the number of years of formal education, household size, household income and land size had mixed effects on the households’ decisions to adopt multiple AAT control methods. The key institutional factors that influenced the adoption behaviour were access to credit, group membership, access to veterinary services and drugs, and agricultural training. The results instil confidence in integrated AAT management if livestock farmers’ socio-economic and institutional constraints are addressed sufficiently
{"title":"Are the current animal trypanosomiasis management methods in Kenya complementary or substitutes? Evidence from Kwale County","authors":"Arnold Lumumbah Musungu, David Jakinda Otieno, Beatrice Wambui Muriithi, Rose N. Nyikal, D. Masiga, Michael Nyanganga Okal","doi":"10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).04","url":null,"abstract":"African animal trypanosomiasis (AAT) and its vectors, mainly tsetse, are a major constraint to livestock production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Control efforts have been ongoing for decades, but finding a sustainable solution remains a major concern. This paper assessed the complementarity and substitutability of existing AAT management methods to inform policies toward an integrated approach. A multivariate probit (MVP) analytical technique was used to model interrelationships in the control methods from 308 randomly selected livestock keepers. The results show that the current AAT control methods are complementary and not substitutes. Furthermore, the number of years of formal education, household size, household income and land size had mixed effects on the households’ decisions to adopt multiple AAT control methods. The key institutional factors that influenced the adoption behaviour were access to credit, group membership, access to veterinary services and drugs, and agricultural training. The results instil confidence in integrated AAT management if livestock farmers’ socio-economic and institutional constraints are addressed sufficiently","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44704622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-30DOI: 10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).01
J. Akinwehinmi, T. Amos, Kolawole Ogundari
In sub-Saharan Africa, identifying estimates of consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for safe food continues to receive attention in the literature. Using experimental data from Nigeria, we examined the source of heterogeneities in preference and WTP for organically produced food. The subjective valuation by consumers of certification in relation to third-party certification and the participatory guarantee system (PGS) was also investigated. A sample of 196 households subjected to a discrete choice experiment yielded 1 764 observations that were analysed using the generalised multinomial logit and mixed logit models. The results reveal a strong preference for food safety in terms of reducing chemical residue, which dominated the respondents’ preference and WTP patterns. Concerning certification attributes, consumers were positively disposed to third-party certification, but showed no significant preference for the PGS form of certification. Significant heterogeneities in preference were due mainly to age and awareness of organic products. We suggest that policies should focus on consumers’ understanding of organic food, third-party certification, and organic agriculture
{"title":"Consumer preferences for organic vegetables in southwestern Nigeria: A choice experiment approach","authors":"J. Akinwehinmi, T. Amos, Kolawole Ogundari","doi":"10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).01","url":null,"abstract":"In sub-Saharan Africa, identifying estimates of consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for safe food continues to receive attention in the literature. Using experimental data from Nigeria, we examined the source of heterogeneities in preference and WTP for organically produced food. The subjective valuation by consumers of certification in relation to third-party certification and the participatory guarantee system (PGS) was also investigated. A sample of 196 households subjected to a discrete choice experiment yielded 1 764 observations that were analysed using the generalised multinomial logit and mixed logit models. The results reveal a strong preference for food safety in terms of reducing chemical residue, which dominated the respondents’ preference and WTP patterns. Concerning certification attributes, consumers were positively disposed to third-party certification, but showed no significant preference for the PGS form of certification. Significant heterogeneities in preference were due mainly to age and awareness of organic products. We suggest that policies should focus on consumers’ understanding of organic food, third-party certification, and organic agriculture","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42865836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-03-30DOI: 10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).02
O. Onubogu, A. Dipeolu
The transmission of price changes to markets has attracted renewed interest since the international food price spikes of 2007 to 2011. In response to this, this paper investigates the long-run behaviour of Nigerian cowpeas and yam tuber retail prices across space and time from 2000 to 2015. We employed the augmented Dickey-Fuller unit root test, the Johansen co-integration test, the Granger causality test, the vector error-correction model (VECM) and variance decomposition analysis. The Johansen co-integration test confirmed the presence of a long-run relationship across the markets, while the VECM revealed that the speed of adjustment to equilibrium after price shocks in the yam and cowpea markets varied across space (market) and period (time), with the food crisis in the period pre-2007 to 2011 fastest and the food crisis in the period 2007 to 2011 slowest. We are of the opinion that the presence of a long-run relationship in Nigerian cowpea and yam markets is a call for participants to explore opportunities for gainful trade.
{"title":"Agricultural price transmission across space and time: The case of cowpea and yam markets in Nigeria","authors":"O. Onubogu, A. Dipeolu","doi":"10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53936/afjare.2021.16(2).02","url":null,"abstract":"The transmission of price changes to markets has attracted renewed interest since the international food price spikes of 2007 to 2011. In response to this, this paper investigates the long-run behaviour of Nigerian cowpeas and yam tuber retail prices across space and time from 2000 to 2015. We employed the augmented Dickey-Fuller unit root test, the Johansen co-integration test, the Granger causality test, the vector error-correction model (VECM) and variance decomposition analysis. The Johansen co-integration test confirmed the presence of a long-run relationship across the markets, while the VECM revealed that the speed of adjustment to equilibrium after price shocks in the yam and cowpea markets varied across space (market) and period (time), with the food crisis in the period pre-2007 to 2011 fastest and the food crisis in the period 2007 to 2011 slowest. We are of the opinion that the presence of a long-run relationship in Nigerian cowpea and yam markets is a call for participants to explore opportunities for gainful trade.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42563423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-12-31DOI: 10.53936/afjare.2020.15(4).19
Guy Blaise Nkamleu
The world is facing unprecedented challenges from COVID-19, which is disrupting lives and livelihoods. The pandemic could profoundly affect the African continent and wipe out hard-won development gains, as sub-Saharan Africa heads into its first recession in 25 years. Beyond the multispatial impact of the coronavirus in Africa, its effects on the agriculture and food system is of particular interest, as food security could be the most affected area and, at the same time, agriculture could be the sector that could help African economies recover quicker from the impact of COVID19. This paper supports the view that COVID-19, as devilish as it may be, offers an opportunity to revive interest in the agricultural sector. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed immense pressures on African countries to raise additional resources, and consequently Africa’s growing public debt is again coming back to the centre stage of the global debate. The conversation on African debt sustainability has begun to dominate the scene and will flood the debate in the near term. While the observed, growing calls for debt relief for African countries are legitimate, we support in this paper that one should not divert attention from the long-term solutions needed to strengthen Africa’s resilience. These long-term solutions lie where they always have: in agriculture. With COVID-19, shipping agricultural inputs and food products from other continents to Africa has become disrupted and is accelerating the trend towards shortening supply chains. This will leave a potential market for inputs and food produced on the continent. COVID-19, together with the launching of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), have aligned the stars in favour of a decisive transformation of the agriculture sector on the continent. Agriculturalists and development experts need to be aware of their responsibility at this time, as they need to advocate for the topic of agricultural development to return to the centre and the heart of the agenda of discussions on how to respond to the consequences of Covid-19 in Africa. In this sense, and unexpectedly, COVID-19 is an opportunity for the agricultural sector.
{"title":"African agriculture in the context of COVID-19: Finding salvation in the devil","authors":"Guy Blaise Nkamleu","doi":"10.53936/afjare.2020.15(4).19","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53936/afjare.2020.15(4).19","url":null,"abstract":"The world is facing unprecedented challenges from COVID-19, which is disrupting lives and livelihoods. The pandemic could profoundly affect the African continent and wipe out hard-won development gains, as sub-Saharan Africa heads into its first recession in 25 years. Beyond the multispatial impact of the coronavirus in Africa, its effects on the agriculture and food system is of particular interest, as food security could be the most affected area and, at the same time, agriculture could be the sector that could help African economies recover quicker from the impact of COVID19. This paper supports the view that COVID-19, as devilish as it may be, offers an opportunity to revive interest in the agricultural sector. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed immense pressures on African countries to raise additional resources, and consequently Africa’s growing public debt is again coming back to the centre stage of the global debate. The conversation on African debt sustainability has begun to dominate the scene and will flood the debate in the near term. While the observed, growing calls for debt relief for African countries are legitimate, we support in this paper that one should not divert attention from the long-term solutions needed to strengthen Africa’s resilience. These long-term solutions lie where they always have: in agriculture. With COVID-19, shipping agricultural inputs and food products from other continents to Africa has become disrupted and is accelerating the trend towards shortening supply chains. This will leave a potential market for inputs and food produced on the continent. COVID-19, together with the launching of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), have aligned the stars in favour of a decisive transformation of the agriculture sector on the continent. Agriculturalists and development experts need to be aware of their responsibility at this time, as they need to advocate for the topic of agricultural development to return to the centre and the heart of the agenda of discussions on how to respond to the consequences of Covid-19 in Africa. In this sense, and unexpectedly, COVID-19 is an opportunity for the agricultural sector.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2020-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47304310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-12-31DOI: 10.53936/afjare.2020.15(4).18
Jeremy Jelliffe, B. Bravo‐Ureta, A. Muitia, Venâncio Salegua, E. Urban, J. Rhoads
This study examines the productivity of smallholder groundnut farmers in North-eastern Mozambique using data for 2016 from two provinces with high total production of said crop. The model used is a Cobb-Douglas True Fixed Effects stochastic production frontier, controlling for geographical heterogeneity, and standard errors clustered at the village level. Our analysis reveals a mean total factor productivity index and technical efficiency score of 0.34 and 0.68 respectively. Seeding rates are found to have major potential for increasing output. This work provides new information to support ongoing efforts to generate greater resilience and robustness in domestic food systems.
这项研究利用2016年莫桑比克东北部两个花生总产量高的省份的数据，考察了该地区花生小农户的生产力。所使用的模型是Cobb Douglas True Fixed Effects随机生产边界，控制了地理异质性和村庄层面的标准误差。我们的分析显示，平均全要素生产率指数和技术效率得分分别为0.34和0.68。播种率被发现具有增加产量的主要潜力。这项工作提供了新的信息，以支持正在进行的努力，提高国内粮食系统的复原力和稳健性。
{"title":"Total factor productivity and technical efficiency among smallholder groundnut farmers in Northern Mozambique","authors":"Jeremy Jelliffe, B. Bravo‐Ureta, A. Muitia, Venâncio Salegua, E. Urban, J. Rhoads","doi":"10.53936/afjare.2020.15(4).18","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.53936/afjare.2020.15(4).18","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines the productivity of smallholder groundnut farmers in North-eastern Mozambique using data for 2016 from two provinces with high total production of said crop. The model used is a Cobb-Douglas True Fixed Effects stochastic production frontier, controlling for geographical heterogeneity, and standard errors clustered at the village level. Our analysis reveals a mean total factor productivity index and technical efficiency score of 0.34 and 0.68 respectively. Seeding rates are found to have major potential for increasing output. This work provides new information to support ongoing efforts to generate greater resilience and robustness in domestic food systems.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2020-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42835976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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