Efficiency in Uganda’s seed potato systems

IF 1.9 Q2 ECONOMICS

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL ECONOMICS Pub Date : 2023-10-27 DOI:10.1108/ijse-10-2021-0641

Ambrose R. Aheisibwe, Razack B. Lokina, Aloyce S. Hepelwa

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Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to examine the level of economic efficiency and factors that influence economic efficiency among seed potato producers in South-western Uganda. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyses the economic efficiency of 499 informal and 137 formal seed producers using primary data collected through a structured questionnaire. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the study sites and specific farmers. A one-step estimation procedure of normalized translog cost frontier and inefficiency model was employed to determine the level of economic efficiency and the influencing factors. Findings The results showed that mean economic efficiencies were 91.7 and 95.2% for informal and formal seed potato producers, respectively. Furthermore, results show significant differences between formal and informal seed potato producers in economic efficiency at a one percent level. Market information access, credit access, producers' capacity and experience increase the efficiency of informal while number of potato varieties, market information access and producers' experience increase economic efficiency for formal counterparts. Research limitations/implications Most seed potato producers, especially the informal ones do not keep comprehensive records of their production and marketing activities. This required more probing as answers depended on memory recall. Practical implications Future research could explore panel data approach involving more cropping seasons with time variant economic efficiency and individual unobservable characteristics that may influence farmers' efficiency to validate the current findings. Social implications The paper shows that there is more potential for seed potato producers to increase their economic efficiency given the available technology. This has a direct implication on the economy through increased investment in the production and promotion of high yielding seed potato varieties to meet the growing national demand for potatoes. Originality/value The paper bridges the gap in literature on economic efficiency among seed potato producers, specifically in applying the normalized translog cost frontier approach in estimating economic efficiency in the context of potato sub-sector in Uganda. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-10-2021-0641

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乌干达种薯系统的效率

本文旨在研究乌干达西南部种薯生产者的经济效率水平和影响经济效率的因素。设计/方法/方法本文采用结构化问卷收集的原始数据，分析了499个非正规种子生产者和137个正规种子生产者的经济效率。采用多阶段抽样技术选择研究地点和特定农民。采用归一化超对数成本前沿和低效率模型一步估算法确定了经济效率水平和影响因素。结果表明，非正规和正规种薯生产者的平均经济效率分别为91.7%和95.2%。此外，结果表明正规和非正规种薯生产者在经济效率上存在1%的显著差异。市场信息获取、信贷获取、生产者的能力和经验提高了非正规部门的效率，而马铃薯品种数量、市场信息获取和生产者的经验提高了正规部门的经济效率。研究局限/影响大多数种薯生产者，特别是非正规生产者，没有保存其生产和销售活动的全面记录。这需要更多的探究，因为答案取决于记忆回忆。未来的研究可以探索面板数据方法，包括更多的种植季节，具有时变的经济效率和个体不可观察的特征，这些特征可能影响农民的效率，以验证当前的研究结果。本文表明，在现有技术条件下，种薯生产者提高经济效益的潜力更大。这对经济产生了直接影响，增加了对生产和推广高产种子马铃薯品种的投资，以满足全国对马铃薯日益增长的需求。原创性/价值本文弥补了种子马铃薯生产者经济效率方面的文献差距，特别是在乌干达马铃薯分部门背景下应用标准化的超对数成本前沿方法来估计经济效率。同行评议本文的同行评议历史可在:https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-10-2021-0641

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来源期刊

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL ECONOMICS ECONOMICS-

CiteScore

3.20

自引率

5.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Social Economics publishes original and peer-reviewed theoretical and empirical research in the field of social economics. Its focus is on the examination and analysis of the interaction between economic activity, individuals and communities. Social economics focuses on the relationship between social action and economies, and examines how social and ethical norms influence the behaviour of economic agents. It is inescapably normative and focuses on needs, rather than wants or preferences, and considers the wellbeing of individuals in communities: it accepts the possibility of a common good rather than conceiving of communities as merely aggregates of individual preferences and the problems of economics as coordinating those preferences. Therefore, contributions are invited which analyse and discuss well-being, welfare, the nature of the good society, governance and social policy, social and economic justice, social and individual economic motivation, and the associated normative and ethical implications of these as they express themselves in, for example, issues concerning the environment, labour and work, education, the role of families and women, inequality and poverty, health and human development.