Technical and allocative efficiencies among smallholder tomato farmers in Kajiado County, Kenya
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Date
2021
Authors
Mibei, S.B.
Mwenjeri, G.W.
Macharia, I.N.
Ruttoh, J.K.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation
Abstract
The government of Kenya and relevant stakeholders in the agriculture sector have promoted adoption of technologies, innovations and management practices to increase productivity, profitability and sustain tomato production. Despite the efforts, a yield gap exists between the farmers’ actual production levels of 1.9 kg/m² and the maximum attainable output for tomato crop of 3.07 kg/m2, indicating production inefficiencies in Kajiado County. The objective of this study was to analyze the technical, allocative and economic efficiencies of smallscale tomato farmers in Kajiado County. A total of 150 respondents were selected randomly and proportionately within Kimana and Rombo wards in Kajiado south subCounty. The statistical data analysis was done using STATA version 14, while the Stochastic Production Frontier model was utilized to evaluate efficiencies. The mean technical efficiency was 47.2%, allocative efficiency 75.8% and economic efficiency 35.8%. The results denote that the primary cause of inefficiency was the failure by tomato producers to maximize on output rather than failure to minimize the cost of production since the mean technical efficiency score was lower than the mean allocative efficiency. The results imply that the smallholder tomato farmers in the study area were not utilizing farm inputs optimally and there is room for improvement in tomato farmer’s technical, allocative and economic efficiencies through intensification of tomato farmers training in resource utilization.
Description
Article
Keywords
Productivity, stochastic frontier production, efficiency, resource utilization
Citation
Mibei, S., Macharia, I., & Mwenjeri, G. (2022). Technical and allocative efficiencies among smallholder Tomato farmers in Kajiado County, Kenya. East African Agricultural and Forestry Journal, 85(1 & 2), 8. Retrieved from https://www.kalro.org/www.eaafj.or.ke/index.php/path/article/view/516