| dc.description.abstract | The study on technical efficiency of smallholder Potato was carried out in Nyabihu
District of Rwanda. The study estimates the technical efficiency obtained from stochastic
frontier production approach. The paper estimates the levels of technical efficiency for
150 smallholder potato farmers, and provides an empirical analysis of the determinants of
inefficiency with the aim of finding a way to increase smallholders' potato production
and productivity. The study used of both primary and secondary data. Primary data was
obtained directly from respondents (farmers) while secondary data were obtained from
books, journals and records of Ministry of Agriculture.
Data was collected through trained enumerators using pre-tested questionnaire. The
survey was conducted during the month of April and May 2010 Data collected was
ana lysed using STAT A and SPSS computer programs. Maximum likelihood estimates
are obtained from half - normal stochastic production model.
Results indicated that 71 percent variation in the output of Irish potato production was
attributed to technical inefficiency with a mean of 60.5 percent technical efficiency. It is
shown that area under potato, seed, and family labor and fertilizes, contribute positively
towards the improvement of efficiency. The analysis also reveals that, farming
experience, house hold size, gender, marital status, farm Size, extension services are
socio-economic factors influencing the farmers' technical efficiency. However,
education, access to credit and firm size brought negative impacts in affecting the
efficiency level of farmers. To achieve increased efficiency of production, this study
recommends government to allocate more funds in strengthening the extension services
and increasing agricultural credit services to potato growers. | en |
