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Productivity and Efficiency Analysis of Maize under Conservation Agriculture in Zimbabwe

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  • Mazvimavi, Kizito
  • Ndlovu, Patrick V.
  • An, Henry
  • Murendo, Conrad

Abstract

This study sought to evaluate the performance of conservation agriculture (CA) technology-essentially comparing productivity and efficiency levels in maize production in CA and conventional farming. The analysis is based on a three year panel sample of smallholder farming households and employing a stochastic production frontier model compare productivity and technical efficiency between CA and conventional farming. Study results indicate that CA technology is implemented in relatively smaller plots than conventional farming (0.36ha compared to 0.85ha) but has a significant contribution to total maize production, on average 50% of output share. Output elasticities indicate positive responses for labor and seed in CA, and negative responses in conventional farming. On the other hand, there are negative responses to land and draft in CA. Fertilizer has a greater positive response in CA than in conventional farming. Overall returns to scale are similar for CA and conventional farming (0.84 and0.89 respectively). There is evidence of technical progress in CA for the three year panel period. Technical progress has been land-saving but seed and fertilizer-using in CA, while land-using and seed-saving in conventional farming. Joint frontier estimates indicate that farmers will produce 39% more in CA compared to conventional farming. Technical efficiency levels are generally the same (about 68%) for both technologies. Two-thirds of farmers achieve efficiency scores in the 60-80% range both CA and conventional farming technologies. These results show significant yield gains in CA practices and significant contributions to food production. CA is land-saving, and this is an important issue for land constrained farmers because they can still have viable food production on smaller area. But high labor demands in CA present some problems in adoption, particularly for the poorer farmers.

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  • Mazvimavi, Kizito & Ndlovu, Patrick V. & An, Henry & Murendo, Conrad, 2012. "Productivity and Efficiency Analysis of Maize under Conservation Agriculture in Zimbabwe," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126767, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:iaae12:126767
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.126767
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    1. Abadi, Bijan & Yadollahi, Arash & Bybordi, Ahmad & Rahmati, Mehdi, 2020. "The discrimination of adopters and non-adopters of conservation agricultural initiatives in northwest Iran: Attitudinal, soil testing, and topographical modules," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    2. Lalani, Baqir & Dorward, Peter & Holloway, Garth, 2017. "Farm-level Economic Analysis - Is Conservation Agriculture Helping the Poor?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 144-153.
    3. Luis A. De los Santos‐Montero & Boris E. Bravo‐Ureta, 2017. "Productivity effects and natural resource management: econometric evidence from POSAF‐II in Nicaragua," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 41(4), pages 220-233, November.
    4. Makaiko G. Khonje & Julius Manda & Petros Mkandawire & Adane Hirpa Tufa & Arega D. Alene, 2018. "Adoption and welfare impacts of multiple agricultural technologies: evidence from eastern Zambia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(5), pages 599-609, September.
    5. Cechura, Lukas & Hockmann, Heinrich & Malý, Michal & Žáková Kroupová, Zdenka, 2015. "Comparison of technology and technical efficiency in cereal production among EU countries," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 7(2), pages 27-37.
    6. John Basera & Clifton Makate & Takesure Tozooneyi, 2016. "Comprehending smallholder maize enterprises` profitability with the current maize marketing system in Zimbabwe: A case of Mazowe district," Asian Journal of Agriculture and rural Development, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 6(6), pages 90-105, June.
    7. Cechura, L. & Hockmann, H. & Malý, M. & Žáková Kroupová, Z., 2015. "Comparison of Technology and Technical Efficiency in Cereal Production among EU Countries," AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Economics and Management, vol. 7(2), pages 1-11, June.
    8. Diao, Xinshen & Silver, Jed & Takeshima, Hiroyuki, 2016. "Agricultural mechanization and agricultural transformation:," IFPRI discussion papers 1527, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    9. Amankwah, Akuffo & Gwatidzo, Tendai, 2024. "Food security and poverty reduction effects of agricultural technologies adoption − a multinomial endogenous switching regression application in rural Zimbabwe," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    10. Nelson Mango & Clifton Makate & Benjamin Hanyani-Mlambo & Shephard Siziba & Mark Lundy & Caroline Elliott, 2015. "A stochastic frontier analysis of technical efficiency in smallholder maize production in Zimbabwe: The post-fast-track land reform outlook," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 1117189-111, December.
    11. Janna Frischen & Isabel Meza & Daniel Rupp & Katharina Wietler & Michael Hagenlocher, 2020. "Drought Risk to Agricultural Systems in Zimbabwe: A Spatial Analysis of Hazard, Exposure, and Vulnerability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-23, January.
    12. Oumer, Ali M. & Burton, Michael, 2018. "Drivers and Synergies in the Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Practices: A Dynamic Perspective," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 273871, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    13. Temitayo A. Adeyemo & Victor O. Okoruwa, 2018. "Value Addition and Productivity Differentials in the Nigerian Cassava System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-22, December.
    14. Yonas T. Bahta & Henry Jordaan & Gunda Sabastain, 2020. "Agricultural Management Practices and Factors Affecting Technical Efficiency in Zimbabwe Maize Farming," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-14, March.
    15. Murendo, Conrad & Gwara, Simon & Mpofu, Nkululeko & Pedzisa, Tarisayi & Mazvimavi, Kizito & Chivenge, Pauline, 2016. "The adoption of a portfolio of sustainable agricultural practices by smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe," 2016 Fifth International Conference, September 23-26, 2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 246383, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    16. Michler, Jeffrey D. & Baylis, Kathy & Arends-Kuenning, Mary & Mazvimavi, Kizito, 2019. "Conservation agriculture and climate resilience," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 148-169.
    17. Ali M. Oumer & Amin Mugera & Michael Burton & Atakelty Hailu, 2022. "Technical efficiency and firm heterogeneity in stochastic frontier models: application to smallholder maize farms in Ethiopia," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 213-241, April.
    18. Ogunlesi, Ayodeji & Bokana, Koye & Okoye, Chidozie & Loy, Jens-Peter, 2018. "Agricultural Productivity and Food Supply Stability in Sub-Saharan Africa: LSDV and SYS-GMM Approach," MPRA Paper 90204, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Pannell, David J. & Llewellyn, Rick S. & Corbeels, Marc, 2013. "The farm-level economics of conservation agriculture for resource-poor farmers," Working Papers 166526, University of Western Australia, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    20. Ali M. Oumer & Michael Burton & Atakelty Hailu & Amin Mugera, 2020. "Sustainable agricultural intensification practices and cost efficiency in smallholder maize farms: Evidence from Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(6), pages 841-856, November.
    21. Abebayehu Girma Geffersa & Frank Wogbe Agbola & Amir Mahmood, 2022. "Modelling technical efficiency and technology gap in smallholder maize sector in Ethiopia: accounting for farm heterogeneity," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(5), pages 506-521, January.

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    Crop Production/Industries; Productivity Analysis;

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