Technical efficiency and constraints related to rice production in West Africa: The case of Benin Republic

Abstract

AbstractRice plays a major role in the fight against food insecurity in developing countries such as Benin. The objective of this research is to evaluate the determinants of technical efficiency, the factors influencing this efficiency, as well as the constraints related to rice production in Benin. The technical efficiency levels were obtained from the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method and were regressed in a Tobit regression model to assess the determinants of the efficiency of rice producers. Production constraints were identified using Kendall’s W concordance test and descriptive statistics. The technical efficiency rate obtained was 51%. Inferential analysis showed that parameters such as the age of the rice producer, household size, the amount of agricultural credit obtained, and the use of inputs impact the technical efficiency of rice production. In addition, most rice producers suffer from limited access to agricultural credit and adequate agricultural equipment, while their production is subject to climatic hazards. Agricultural development policies related to the determinants of the technical efficiency of rice production should be formulated in order to improve the efficiency of the producers in Benin Republic.

Keywords

• agricultural credit
• food security
• Food policy
• staple food
• subsidy
• Tobit regression model