Assessing Agricultural Productivity among Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Tanzania: Evidence from Rungwe District
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Institute of Continuing Education
Abstract
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Journal of Continuing Education and Extension, 2005; 2(1): 102 - 111
This paper presents empirical findings on resource productivity and allocation efficiency in smallholder coffee farmers in Rungwe district. The data used in this paper are based on a case study that involved interviewing 90 farmers. A Cobb- Douglas production function was used to estimate the production organization of the coffee farmers, and their efficiency in resource use. The results show that the farmers display a low level of efficiency in using available resources. The results indicate further that farmers would increase farm productivity by the using adequate capital-intensive input levels in order to maximize their efficiency. In order to achieve the use of capital-intensive inputs, farmers should take advantage of increasing their bargaining power in both input and output markets. Farmers' groups/associations further provide group liability in the procurement of credit from both formal and informal financial lending institutions. This in turn will improve farmers input purchasing power. The knowledge and skill on how to improve both the institutional and technical aspects of coffee production require regular updating so that farmers can optimize the use of available resources. Continuing education for farmers is therefore emphasized for promoting efficient resource utilization as well cis enhancing farm productivity.
This paper presents empirical findings on resource productivity and allocation efficiency in smallholder coffee farmers in Rungwe district. The data used in this paper are based on a case study that involved interviewing 90 farmers. A Cobb- Douglas production function was used to estimate the production organization of the coffee farmers, and their efficiency in resource use. The results show that the farmers display a low level of efficiency in using available resources. The results indicate further that farmers would increase farm productivity by the using adequate capital-intensive input levels in order to maximize their efficiency. In order to achieve the use of capital-intensive inputs, farmers should take advantage of increasing their bargaining power in both input and output markets. Farmers' groups/associations further provide group liability in the procurement of credit from both formal and informal financial lending institutions. This in turn will improve farmers input purchasing power. The knowledge and skill on how to improve both the institutional and technical aspects of coffee production require regular updating so that farmers can optimize the use of available resources. Continuing education for farmers is therefore emphasized for promoting efficient resource utilization as well cis enhancing farm productivity.
Keywords
Resource productivity, Allocation efficiency, Smallholder coffee farmers,, Rungwe District