Analyse de l’efficacite des petits exploitants de legumes en zone de foret dans la region du sud-ouest cameroun

Fosso Djoumessi, Yannik (2015): Analyse de l’efficacite des petits exploitants de legumes en zone de foret dans la region du sud-ouest cameroun.

Abstract

This study examines the efficiency of smallholder vegetable farmers in the forest zone of the Southwest region of Cameroon. Data used was collected by means of a field survey within the framework of the Humidtropics program. This study aims to evaluate the technical efficiency levels of small-scale vegetable producers and to identify the sources of inefficiency. It therefore has two specific objectives: i) estimate the technical efficiency of smallholder vegetable farmers, (ii) identify the determinants of the technical efficiency of smallholder vegetable farmers. The efficiency scores for a sample of 100 producers are obtained using Data Envelopment Analysis and a Tobit model is used to identify the sources of inefficiency. The calculated technical efficiency scores range from 12% to 100%, with a mean technical efficiency index of 70% for the constant returns to scale (CRS) model. The technical efficiency scores for the variable returns to scale (VRS) model range from 23% to 100% with a mean score of 79%. Scale efficiency ranges from 40% to 100% with a mean of 87%. The mean technical efficiency scores indicate that there exist better ways of using resources which can push the production of the average producer right to the frontier. The findings show that farm size and access to credit influence efficiency significantly and positively. Age, household size, experience, manure, farm-related training and extension contact improve the efficiency of farmers. Meanwhile, education and membership of farmers’ association have no effect on the productive performance of vegetable farmers. Public and private stakeholders should therefore focus on these factors in order to reduce technical inefficiency

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• English Title: Understanding Variation in Smallholder Efficiency Levels in Vegetable Farms within Forest Based System Farming in Southwest Cameroon
• Language: French
• Keywords: Data Envelopment Analysis, Forest-based System, Smallholder, Technical efficiency
• Subjects: Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q12 - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets

References

Abang, A. F., Kouame, C. M., Abang, M., Hannah, R., & Fotso, A. K. (2013). Vegetable growers perception of pesticide use practices, cost, and health effects in the tropical region of Cameroon. International Journal of Agronomy and Plant Production, 4(5), 873–883.

Abdul, W., & White, B. (2002). The Determinants of Technical Inefficiency of Farms in Bangladesh. Indian Economic Review, 37(2), 183–197.

Agusiobo. (1984). Vegetative Gardening. Macmillan Press London pp. 344-345.

Albouchi, L., Bachta, M. S., & Jacquet, F. (2007a). Estimation et décomposition de l’efficacité économique des zones irriguées pour mieux gérer les inefficacités existantes. Instruments Économiques et Modernisation de L’agriculture Irriguée En Méditerranée. Actes Du Séminaire Euro Méditerranéen. Retrieved from http://hal.cirad.fr/cirad-00193606/

Coelli, T., & Perelman, S. (1999). A comparison of parametric and non-parametric distance functions: With application to European railways. European Journal of Operational Research 117, 326–339.

Coelli, T., & Perelman, s. (1999). A comparison of parametric and non-parametric distance functions: With application to European railways. European Journal of Operational Research 117, 326–339.

Cooper, W. W., Seiford, L. M., & Zhu, J. (2011a). Data envelopment analysis: History, models, and interpretations. In Handbook on data envelopment analysis (pp. 1–39). Springer. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4419-6151-8_1

Cooper, W. W., Seiford, L. M., & Zhu, J. (2011b). Data envelopment analysis: History, models, and interpretations. In Handbook on data envelopment analysis (pp. 1–39). Springer. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4419-6151-8_1

Dalalyan, A. S. (2009). Statistique avancee : methodes non-parametrique. Ecole Centrale de Paris. Debreu. (1951). The coefficient of ressource utilsation. ECONOMETRICA, 19(3).

DE Janvry, A., & Sadoulet, E. (2001). World Poverty and the Role of Agricultural Technology: Direct and Indirect Effects. Journal of Development Studies. Depezay, L. (2007, September). Les légumes dans l’alimentation : leurs effets nutritionnels. Fondation Louis Bonduelle.

Timmer, P. (1971). sing a Probabilistic Frontier Production Function to Measure Technical Efficiency. Journal of Political Economy, 79, 776–794.

Tirole. (1999a). théorie de l’organisation industrielle. Paris Economica, 1(2).

Tirole. (1999b). théorie de l’organisation industrielle. Paris Economica, 1(2).

Tobin, J. (1958). Estimation of relationships for limited dependent variables. Econometrica, 28, 24–36.

Udry, C. (1996). Gender, Agricultural Production, and the Theory of the Household. The Journal of Political Economy, 104(5), 1010–1046.

Varian, H. R. (1992). Microeconomic analysis. New York: Norton.

Waite, W. C. (1936). Combination of Factors of Different Efficiency. Journal of Farm Economics, 18(4), 743. http://doi.org/10.2307/1230717

Wan, W., Waile, E., & Cramer, G. (1996). A Shadow-Price Frontier Measurement of Profit Efficiency in Chinese Agriculture. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 78(1), 146–156.

Welch, F. (1970). Education in Production. Journal of Policy Economic, 78, 35–59.