Abstract
Water scarcity is a major constraint at national level, under the combined effects of irregular rainfall, the country’s growing needs to respond to demographic pressure and the call of competing economic sectors (agriculture, industry, drinking water, tourism, etc.). This situation is further exacerbated by the impact of climate change, so optimization and sustainable water management are a necessity. Within this framework, this research work aims to measure the performance of producers of red fruit farms at the Loukkos perimeter through an empirical analysis of their technical efficiency and efficiency of water use. To achieve this, a deterministic production frontier model (with a production technology represented by a translog functional form) has been specified using the software FRONTIER 4.1, allowing both the estimation of farm efficiency scores and the identification of the explanatory factors for technical inefficiency. Then the estimation of water use efficiency scores using the Reinhard derivative has been measured. Survey data collected from a sample of 40 raspberry and 20 blueberry farms in the Loukkos area were used for this purpose. The results show that a minority of the farms selected are below their production frontier and are characterized by technical inefficiency. The average technical efficiency is 91%, indicating a level ranging from 60% to 99% for raspberry and an average of 91% ranging from 80% to 99% for blueberry. Some of these producers could increase their technical efficiency without having to increase their input volumes. The technical efficiency of water use is higher than 80% for raspberry, for blueberry more than 98%. On the other hand, the economic efficiency of water use scores for both crops is high (99%). As regards the analysis of the determinants of the technical efficiency and efficiency of water use they were analyzed with GRETL using Tobit model, it follows that variables such as age of farm managers, level of education, and planting age for blueberries are significant and influence positively the level of technical efficiency and technical efficiency of water use in raspberry and blueberry operations. These various results were used to identify implications, in terms of development measures, with a view to improving the performance of these farms.
Highlights
For the Mediterranean, climate constraints, the scarcity of water resources, have always been structural characteristics
Following the results obtained through the use of the Tobit model to regress the scores of technical efficiency and technical efficiency of water use on the explanatory variables using the GRETL software, it was found that age has a positive effect on the scores of these two indicators, that is, as producers age they are more effective and efficient
The experience variable has a negative effect on the technical efficiency and technical efficiency scores for water use
Summary
For the Mediterranean, climate constraints, the scarcity of water resources, have always been structural characteristics. The Moroccan agricultural sector, a pillar of the country’s food security, is highly dependent on climatic hazards, drought and the scarcity of water resources. The strategy of irrigation and water saving forms the basis of the country’s agricultural policy. In other words, irrigated agriculture is considered an essential component of Morocco’s economy as a producer of wealth and creator of jobs In this context, in April 2008, the Moroccan government launched an ambitious program called The Green Morocco Plan, which places agriculture at the top of the country’s priorities that aims to develop the entire agricultural potential of the territory and to break with the simplistic image of a dual agriculture which opposes a modern sector to a traditional one. Water is the key factor to agricultural production in a country where agriculture is a pillar of the national economy the control of water a technical and economic imperative and a privileged path for the economic and social development of the countries
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