Determinants of Technical Efficiency of Maize Production in Ethiopia: An Empirical Review

Firomsa Mersha Tekalign

doi:10.11648/j.ajere.20190404.15

Abstract

Ethiopia is an agrarian country where a large majority of the peoples and the poor living in rural areas are deriving their livelihood from agriculture. However, low levels of agricultural productivity and increasing population pressure have been critical problems of Ethiopia. These have aggravated the food insecurity situation by widening the gap between demand for and supply of food. In Ethiopia, information on the levels of productivity of maize and farm household technical efficiency in its production is lacking. This paper is aiming at reviewing the major determinants of technical efficiency of maize in Ethiopia using meta-analysis method. Increasing efficiency in maize production could be taken an important step towards attaining food security. The meta-analysis results revealed that important factors that affects the technical efficiency of maize production in Ethiopia were age, family size, education, land holding, livestock ownership, off-farm income, access to credit, contact with extension workers and distance from the nearest market. Many Literatures also suggests the factors that affect the efficiency variation of smallholder farmers classifying them into different categories. These (in) efficiency factors are classified into demographic such as age and family size; socio-economic like education, land holding, livestock ownership, and off-farm income; institutional factors such as access to credit, and contact with extension workers; and physical factor like distance from the nearest market. Therefore, designing and implementing an appropriate policy intervention by focusing on the above-mentioned factors is important in Ethiopia.

Highlights

Ethiopia is an agrarian country where a large majority of peoples and the poor living in rural areas are deriving their livelihood from this agriculture
50% of the output of agricultural GDP comes from crop production whereas, 47% and 3% are from livestock and forestry respectively
In order to improve maize production and productivity, an efficient use of production inputs has to be adopted by smallholder farmers

Summary

Introduction

Ethiopia is an agrarian country where a large majority of peoples and the poor living in rural areas are deriving their livelihood from this agriculture. Growth in agriculture from the crop production sub-sector, cereals are the dominant food grains. The major crops occupy over 8 million hectares of land with an estimated annual production of about 12 million tons [3]. The potential to increase productivity of these crops is very high as it has been demonstrated and realized by recent extension activities in different parts of the country. Population expansion, low productivity due to lack of technology transfer and decreasing availability of arable land are the major contributors to the current food shortage in Ethiopia [4]

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Methods

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Conclusion