Production efficiency of potato in South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Potatoes are vital for food security and subsistence farming, especially in highland regions. Enhancing production could lift people out of poverty and boost income, while promoting better nutrition and sustainable yields for farmers. The objectives of the study were to analyze the technical, allocative and economic efficiencies of potato producers and to identify factors determining technical, allocative and economic efficiencies of the potato producers. This study took a sample of 390 households from North West part of Ethiopia in South Gondar zone by using multistage sampling to draw a representative sample. The data was collected through questioner, key informant interview, focus group discussion. The study was employing both descriptive and econometric methods of data analysis. Stochastic frontier analysis model was used for this study to know production efficiency of the sampled households and two limit tobit model used to estimate source of inefficiency among potato producers. The average technical, allocative and economic efficiency (EE) score were 61%, 93% and 57%, respectively. Potato production efficiency influenced significantly by sex of the house hold, membership in cooperative, access of training, availability of credit and extension service. Based on the findings government and non-government organizations should give attention in awareness of services of cooperative, facilitate training and access of credit in relation to potato production to increase productivity of farmers.

Keywords

• Efficiency
• stochastic frontier
• Tobit
• potato
• M. Luisa Escudero-Gilete, Food Colour and Quality Laboratory, Dpt. Nutrition and Food Science, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
• Agriculture & Environmental Sciences