ISSN 2329-9797
International Journal of Agricultural Economics and Extension ISSN 2329-9797 Vol. 6 (12), pp. 001-008, December, 2018. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Are Kenyan smallholders allocatively efficient? Evidence from Irish potato producers in Nyandarua North district
Gideon A. Obare1,2*, Daniel O. Nyagaka3 Wilson Nguyo1 and Samuel M. Mwakubo4
1Department of Agricultural Economics and Business Management, Egerton University, Kenya.
2Food Security Center, University of Hohenheim, Germany.
3Research Extension Liaison Division, Ministry of Agriculture, Kenya.
4Department of Economics and Agricultural Resource Management, Moi University, Kenya.
Accepted 12 January, 2018
Abstract
Irish potato production in Kenya has been on the decline, yet this crop is a major staple and a source of cash from sales. Using a random sample of 127 smallholder farmers in Nyandarua North district this paper applied a dual stochastic efficiency decomposition technique and a two - limit Tobit model, after disaggregating economic efficiency components using a dual stochastic frontier function, to analyze resource allocative efficiency in Irish potato production. This is in view of the unclear determinants of declining potato production trends in Kenya and considering that the Irish potato is a major staple and cash crop. The paper establishes that Irish potato production in Nyandarua North district is characterized by decreasing returns to scale with a mean allocative efficiency of 0.57. It was further established that farming experience, access to extension and credit, and membership in a farmers’ association positively and significantly influenced allocative efficiency. Implications of the study results are drawn.
Key words: Efficiency, productivity, stochastic frontier functions, Irish potato, Kenya.