Comparative Analysis Of Technical Efficiency And Productivity Differences In Maize Farming In Ghana

ABSTRACT

This study aims to determine the differences in productivity and technical efficiency levels of maize producers in three ecological zones in Ghana. It also seeks to identify the sources of inefficiency and identify constraints faced by maize farmers within these ecological zones. The study used a cross section of 224 maize producers from the savannah, forest and transition zones in Ghana. This research adopts the Metafrontier and the stochastic frontier models to compute the technical efficiencies, environmental-technology gaps and relative technical efficiencies of maize farmers from the three zones. The Ox programme was used to analyze the data from the field survey. The translog model proved to be the best fit for the mean output function. All inputs positively influenced the productivity of maize producers in all three ecological zones while intermediate input had an adverse effect on productivity in the savannah zone. The mean technical efficiency scores of the savannah, transition, forest zones and pooled model were found to be 0.78, 0.97, 0.97 and 0.95 respectively. The mean ecological gap ratios were 0.75, 0.61, 0.47 and 0.63 for the savannah, transition, forest zones and the pooled dataset respectively. Education was observed to reduce inefficiency of maize farmers across all three ecological zones. Farmer’s age had a positive effect on technical inefficiency in the forest zone but had an adverse effect in the savannah and transition zones. Experience increased inefficiency in the savannah zone but reduced it in the two other zones while extension increased inefficiency in the transition zone but decreased it in the two other ecological zones. FBO membership decreased inefficiency in the savannah and transition zones but had a positive effect in the forest zone whereas land ownership increased inefficiency in the savannah zone but a negative effect in the forest and transition zones. The major occupation of the farmer had a negative effect in all zones while an available surplus market had a negative effect in the forest and transition zones but a positive effect in the dry savannah zone. Farmers from the transition and forest zones proved to be more efficient in their production than their counterparts from the savannah zone. This study recommends that maize producers in all three ecological zones increase the scale of production in order to increase output. Extension officers and other advisory services should endeavor to promote quality extension delivery that focuses on allocating inputs in optimal quantities to maximize output of maize farmers within each ecological zone.