Technical innovation and farm productivity growth in dryland Africa: The effects of structural adjustment on smallholders in Kenya
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Date
2000-12Author
Nyariki, D M
Thirtle, C G
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This paper uses non-parametric approach to measure technical innovation and productivity growth at the smallholder farm-level in dry-land sub-Saharan Africa during the initial years of the structural adjustment programmes for agriculture. Data from Kenya for two production years, 1991/2 and 1995/6 are used to construct a Malmquist productivity index. The results show that the rise in input prices led to reduced use of modern inputs, so that efficiency increased at 12% per year. However, lower use of modern varieties and less fertiliser also gave technological regression at 2.5% per annum, so that the overall outcome was productivity growth of 3% per annum. However, productivity improvement cannot be sustainable without technological progress.
Citation
AgEcon Search 39(4), 2000Publisher
Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nairobi, Kenya
Subject
Technical innovationFarm productivity
Dryland
Africa
Structural adjustments
Smallholders
Kenya