Agricultural Productivity Growth in West African Agriculture: A Frontier Function Analysis

ABSTRACT

            Productivity growth in an economy is important because it is an essential source of overall growth. The study evaluates the total factor productivity growth in agricultural sector of West African countries between 1961-2000 and also determined the technological change and technical efficiency change within the period. The study used data from the FAOSTAT Database of the FAO. The data were analysed using stochastic frontier production function. The results revealed land, labour, time and irrigation to be the inputs that most influenced agricultural output. All the West African countries except Benin and Burkina Faso experienced positive total factor productivity change which translates into increased productivity growth. The technical efficiency change was positive for all the countries and it was responsible for the greater portion of total factor productivity among the countries. Given the results of the analysis, the agriculture of these countries is still subsistence and therefore, there is the need for agricultural transformation through the use of modern inputs.

Keywords: Total factor productivity, Stochastic frontier function, West Africa