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The impact of credit on the technical efficiency of maize-producing households in Northern Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Edward Martey
  • Alexander N. Wiredu
  • Prince M. Etwire
  • John K.M. Kuwornu

Abstract

Purpose - Production credit is essential for enhancing the technical efficiency (TE) and the welfare of smallholder farmers in Africa. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of credit on smallholders’ TE using cross-sectional data from 223 maize-producing households in Northern Ghana. Design/methodology/approach - Due to the exogenous assignment of credit and assumption of homogeneity in farm technologies, the propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to compare the average difference in TE between farmers that had received credit and those that had not. Findings - The results revealed that production credit impacts positively on smallholder farmers’ TE. Access to production credit is significantly influenced by access to markets and extension services, distance to market, asset index and land fragmentation. The provision of credit enhances the timely purchase and efficient allocation of farming inputs to produce the maximum possible output. Per capita income and land fragmentation also play important roles in reducing smallholders’ TE. Practical implications - To increase efficiency gains, credit programs for agricultural interventions should target resource-poor smallholder farmers. The efficiency gains can be sustained through stronger partnerships with financial institutions. Policy interventions aimed at increasing smallholder farmers’ access to production credit (e.g. through the creation of a conducive investment environment that lowers the lending rate and collateral requirements) must be vigorously pursued. Originality/value - To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is one of the only recent studies to examine the impact of credit on the TE of farming households by applying the translog stochastic frontier production function and the PSM approaches.

Suggested Citation

  • Edward Martey & Alexander N. Wiredu & Prince M. Etwire & John K.M. Kuwornu, 2019. "The impact of credit on the technical efficiency of maize-producing households in Northern Ghana," Agricultural Finance Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 79(3), pages 304-322, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:eme:afrpps:afr-05-2018-0041
    DOI: 10.1108/AFR-05-2018-0041
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Mulugeta Y. Birhanu & Tesfahun Alemayehu & Jasmine E. Bruno & Fasil Getachew Kebede & Emmanuel Babafunso Sonaiya & Ezekiel H. Goromela & Oladeji Bamidele & Tadelle Dessie, 2021. "Technical Efficiency of Traditional Village Chicken Production in Africa: Entry Points for Sustainable Transformation and Improved Livelihood," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-21, July.
    2. Li, Changsheng & Ma, Wanglin & Mishra, Ashok K. & Gao, Liangliang, 2020. "Access to credit and farmland rental market participation: Evidence from rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    3. Chisom Ubabukoh & Katsushi S. Imai, 2021. "Are Farmers “Efficient but Poor”? The Impact of Crop Choices on Agricultural Productivity and Poverty in Nigeria," Discussion Paper Series DP2021-17, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, revised Jun 2022.
    4. Chen, Conghui & Liu, Bing & Wang, Ziyou, 2023. "Can land transfer relax credit constraints? Evidence from China," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).

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