IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jagris/v12y2022i8p1236-d889874.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring the Growth of Agricultural Productivity in AFRICA: A Färe-Primont Index Approach

Author

Listed:
  • Lindikaya W. Myeki

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa
    National Agricultural Marketing Council, MERC Division, 536 Francis Baard St, Arcadia, Pretoria 0002, South Africa)

  • Yonas T. Bahta

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa)

  • Nicolette Matthews

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa)

Abstract

The effort to increase agricultural productivity continues to receive interest in Africa as low productivity levels, poverty and food insecurity remain or even increase. This study used the Färe-Primont Index to estimate agricultural total factor productivity growth for 49 African countries. Panel data consisting of 833 observations for the period 2000 to 2016 were obtained from the United State Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service database. The results show that the average growth rate for agriculture in Africa is 0.73% per annum. The sector experienced increased growth after the Maputo Declaration, which was sustained during the global financial crisis. West Africa experienced the largest growth while Southern Africa suffered a substantial decline. The study also discovered that growth differed between countries indicating that customization of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme into regional and country-specific policy interventions is important to boost agricultural productivity. Finally, the growth was achieved through technical change, while efficiency change constrained growth. Policy-makers should increase investment in agricultural extension services, education and training to enhance managerial capacity (efficiency change) because improved managerial capacity could increase agricultural growth and thereby increase food security and alleviate poverty in Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Lindikaya W. Myeki & Yonas T. Bahta & Nicolette Matthews, 2022. "Exploring the Growth of Agricultural Productivity in AFRICA: A Färe-Primont Index Approach," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:8:p:1236-:d:889874
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/8/1236/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/12/8/1236/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alejandro Plastina & Sergio H Lence, 2018. "A Parametric Estimation of Total Factor Productivity and Its Components in U.S. Agriculture," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 100(4), pages 1091-1119.
    2. Jayne, Thomas S. & Kwame Yeboah, Felix. & Henry, Carla., 2017. "The future of work in African agriculture trends and drivers of change," ILO Working Papers 994987492102676, International Labour Organization.
    3. Chancellor, Will & Hughes, Neal & Zhao, Shiji & Soh, Wei Ying & Valle, Haydn & Boult, Christopher, 2021. "Controlling for the effects of climate on total factor productivity: A case study of Australian farms," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    4. Tim J. Coelli & D. S. Prasada Rao, 2005. "Total factor productivity growth in agriculture: a Malmquist index analysis of 93 countries, 1980–2000," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 32(s1), pages 115-134, January.
    5. Regret Sunge & Nicholas Ngepah, 2020. "The Impact of Agricultural Trade Liberalization on Agricultural Total Factor Productivity Growth in Africa," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(4), pages 571-598, October.
    6. Christian Nsiah & Bichaka Fayissa, 2019. "Trends in Agricultural Production Efficiency and their Implications for Food Security in Sub‐Saharan African Countries," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 31(1), pages 28-42, March.
    7. Yu, Bingxin & Nin Pratt, Alejandro, 2011. "Agricultural Productivity and Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa," 2011 Annual Meeting, July 24-26, 2011, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 105400, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Guy Nkamleu, 2004. "Productivity Growth, Technical Progress and Efficiency Change in African Agriculture," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 16(1), pages 203-222.
    9. Owusu, Rebecca & Kwadzo, Moses & Ghartey, William, 2022. "Regional Productivity Differential and Technology Gap In African Agriculture: A Stochastic Metafrontier Approach," International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics (IJFAEC), Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Department of Economics and Finance, vol. 10(1), January.
    10. Ousmane Badiane & Tsitsi Makombe, 2014. "The Theory and Practice of Agriculture, Growth, and Development in Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-061, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    11. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November.
    12. Steven A. Block, 2014. "The post-independence decline and rise of crop productivity in sub-Saharan Africa: measurement and explanations," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 66(2), pages 373-396.
    13. Badiane, Ousmane & Makombe, Tsitsi, 2014. "The theory and practice of agriculture, growth, and development in Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series 061, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    14. Fulginiti, Lilyan E. & Perrin, Richard K. & Yu, Bingxin, 2004. "Institutions and agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 31(2-3), pages 169-180, December.
    15. Fuglie, Keith O. & Rada, Nicholas E., 2013. "Resources, Policies, and Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Research Report 145368, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    16. Guy M. Robinson, 2018. "Globalization of Agriculture," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 10(1), pages 133-160, October.
    17. Temoso, Omphile & Villano, Renato & Hadley, David, 2015. "Agricultural productivity, efficiency and growth in a semi-arid country: a case study of Botswana," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 10(3), pages 1-15, September.
    18. Frisvold, George & Ingram, Kevin, 1995. "Sources of agricultural productivity growth and stagnation in sub-Saharan Africa," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 13(1), pages 51-61, October.
    19. Thirtle, Colin & Lin, Lin & Piesse, Jenifer, 2003. "The Impact of Research-Led Agricultural Productivity Growth on Poverty Reduction in Africa, Asia and Latin America," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 31(12), pages 1959-1975, December.
    20. Nicole M. Mason & Thomas S. Jayne & Nicolas van de Walle, 2017. "The Political Economy of Fertilizer Subsidy Programs in Africa: Evidence from Zambia," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 99(3), pages 705-731.
    21. Kevin J. Fox & Yu Sheng & Tom Jackson & Shiji Zhao & Dandan Zhang, 2017. "Measuring Output, Input and Total Factor Productivity in Australian Agriculture: An Industry-Level Analysis," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 63, pages 169-193, February.
    22. Temoso, Omphile & Villano, Renato & Hadley, David, 2016. "Evaluating the productivity gap between commercial and traditional beef production systems in Botswana," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 30-39.
    23. Subal Kumbhakar & Gudbrand Lien & J. Hardaker, 2014. "Technical efficiency in competing panel data models: a study of Norwegian grain farming," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 321-337, April.
    24. Akamin, Ajapnwa & Molua, Ernest L., 2019. "Agricultural productivity growth, technical progress and efficiency decline in Central Africa," 2019 Sixth International Conference, September 23-26, 2019, Abuja, Nigeria 295883, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    25. Badiane, Ousmane & Diao, Xinshen & Jayne, Thomas, 2021. "Africa’s unfolding agricultural transformation," IFPRI book chapters, in: Agricultural development: New perspectives in a changing world, chapter 5, pages 153-192, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    26. Shenggen Fan & Wei Si & Yumei Zhang, 2020. "How to prevent a global food and nutrition security crisis under COVID-19?," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(3), pages 471-480, June.
    27. Arega D. Alene, 2010. "Productivity growth and the effects of R&D in African agriculture," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 41(3‐4), pages 223-238, May.
    28. Jianxu Liu & Mengjiao Wang & Li Yang & Sanzidur Rahman & Songsak Sriboonchitta, 2020. "Agricultural Productivity Growth and Its Determinants in South and Southeast Asian Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-21, June.
    29. Nkamleu, Guy Blaise & Sylla, Kalilou & Zonon, Abdoulaye, 2008. "What accounts for growth in African agriculture," MPRA Paper 11102, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2008.
    30. Nicole M. Mason & Thomas S. Jayne & Nicolas van de Walle, 2017. "The Political Economy of Fertilizer Subsidy Programs in Africa: Evidence from Zambia," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 99(3), pages 705-731.
    31. Angela Lusigi & Jenifer Piesse & Colin Thirtle, 1998. "Convergence of per capita incomes and agricultural productivity in Africa," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 10(1), pages 105-115.
    32. Jean Christophe Bureau & Jesús Antón, 2022. "Agricultural Total Factor Productivity and the environment: A guide to emerging best practices in measurement," OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers 177, OECD Publishing.
    33. Valdes, Constanza & Rada, Nicholas E., 2012. "Brazil’s Agricultural Productivity Growth Spurred by Research," Amber Waves:The Economics of Food, Farming, Natural Resources, and Rural America, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, issue 03, pages 1-4, September.
    34. Asif Reza Anik & Sanzidur Rahman & Jaba Rani Sarker, 2020. "Five Decades of Productivity and Efficiency Changes in World Agriculture (1969–2013)," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-20, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Balgah, Roland Azibo & Benjamin, Emmanuel Olatunbosun & Kimengsi, Jude Ndzifon & Buchenrieder, Gertrud, 2023. "COVID-19 impact on agriculture and food security in Africa. A systematic review and meta-analysis," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    2. Đokić, Danilo & Matkovski, Bojan & Jeremić, Marija & Đurić, Ivan, 2022. "Land productivity and agri-environmental indicators: A case study of Western Balkans," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 11(12), pages 1-13.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Adom, Philip Kofi & Adams, Samuel, 2020. "Decomposition of technical efficiency in agricultural production in Africa into transient and persistent technical efficiency under heterogeneous technologies," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    2. Alene, Arega D. & Coulibaly, Ousmane, 2009. "The impact of agricultural research on productivity and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 198-209, April.
    3. repec:oup:apecpp:v:40:y:2018:i:3:p:421-444. is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Adetutu, Morakinyo O. & Ajayi, Victor, 2020. "The impact of domestic and foreign R&D on agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    5. Arega D. Alene, 2010. "Productivity growth and the effects of R&D in African agriculture," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 41(3‐4), pages 223-238, May.
    6. Fuglie, Keith O. & Rada, Nicholas E., 2013. "Resources, Policies, and Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Research Report 145368, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    7. Ogundari, Kolawole, 2021. "Causal Relationship between Economic Growth and Agricultural productivity in Sub Saharan Africa: A Panel Cointegration Approach," MPRA Paper 110199, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Ogundari, Kolawole & Awokuse, Titus, 2016. "Assessing the Contribution of Agricultural Productivity to Food Security levels in Sub-Saharan African countries," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235730, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    9. Steven Block, 2014. "The Decline and Rise of Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa since 1961," NBER Chapters, in: African Successes, Volume IV: Sustainable Growth, pages 13-67, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Alene, Arega D., 2009. "Productivity growth and the effects of R&D in African agriculture," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51436, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Onyumbe E. Lukongo & Jon P. Rezek, 2018. "Investigating Spatial Dependence and Spatial Spillovers in African Agricultural Total Factor Productivity Growth," The American Economist, Sage Publications, vol. 63(1), pages 41-58, March.
    12. Andrew Ojede & Amin Mugera & Daigyo Seo, 2013. "Macroeconomic Policy Reforms And Productivity Growth In African Agriculture," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 31(4), pages 814-830, October.
    13. Reeg, Caroline, 2017. "Spatial development initiatives – potentials, challenges and policy lessons: with a specific outlook for inclusive agrocorridors in Sub-Sahara Africa," IDOS Studies, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), volume 97, number 97, July.
    14. Truc Linh Le & Pai-Po Lee & Ke Chung Peng & Rebecca H. Chung, 2019. "Evaluation of total factor productivity and environmental efficiency of agriculture in nine East Asian countries," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 65(6), pages 249-258.
    15. Jinkai Li & Jueying Chen & Heguang Liu, 2021. "Sustainable Agricultural Total Factor Productivity and Its Spatial Relationship with Urbanization in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-15, June.
    16. Lingran Yuan & Shurui Zhang & Shuo Wang & Zesen Qian & Binlei Gong, 2021. "World agricultural convergence," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 135-153, April.
    17. Oliver K. Kirui & Lukas Kornher & Maksud Bekchanov, 2023. "Productivity growth and the role of mechanisation in African agriculture," Agrekon, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 62(1), pages 80-97, January.
    18. Lindikaya W. Myeki & Nicolette Matthews & Yonas T. Bahta, 2023. "Decomposition of Green Agriculture Productivity for Policy in Africa: An Application of Global Malmquist–Luenberger Index," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-17, January.
    19. Alene, Arega D. & Manyong, V.M. & Tollens, Eric F. & Abele, Steffen, 2007. "Targeting agricultural research based on potential impacts on poverty reduction: Strategic program priorities by agro-ecological zone in Nigeria," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 394-412, June.
    20. Candemir, Mehmet & Deliktas, Ertugrul, 2009. "Production Efficiency and Total Factor Productivity Growth in Turkish State Agricultural Enterprises," Agricultural Economics Review, Greek Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 8(2).
    21. Derek Headey & Mohammad Alauddin & D.S. Prasada Rao, 2010. "Explaining agricultural productivity growth: an international perspective," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 41(1), pages 1-14, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:12:y:2022:i:8:p:1236-:d:889874. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.