Potential for increasing groundnut production in Tanzania by enhancing technical efficiency: A stochastic meta-frontier analysis

Groundnut crop is one of the major sources of financial and food security for a large number of Tanzanian smallholder farmers. However, the production of groundnuts in Tanzania is underdeveloped, and yields are reportedly 2.5 to 3 times lower than in other African nations such as Nigeria. There are...

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Main Authors: Abhishek Das, Shalander Kumar, N. V. P. R. Ganga Rao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1027270/full
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author Abhishek Das
Shalander Kumar
N. V. P. R. Ganga Rao
author_facet Abhishek Das
Shalander Kumar
N. V. P. R. Ganga Rao
author_sort Abhishek Das
collection DOAJ
description Groundnut crop is one of the major sources of financial and food security for a large number of Tanzanian smallholder farmers. However, the production of groundnuts in Tanzania is underdeveloped, and yields are reportedly 2.5 to 3 times lower than in other African nations such as Nigeria. There are a number of factors that contribute to lower yields including the cultivation of outdated plant varieties, increased climate variability, the infestation of pests and diseases, and the use of outdated farming techniques. To analyze the scope for increasing groundnut production, this study investigates and compares the technical efficiencies (TEs) and technological gap ratios (TGRs) in Tanzania's four main groundnut-producing regions, namely the Central zone, Lake Zone, Southern zone, Southern highland zone, by using a two-step meta frontier model. We used ICRISAT data collected under the Tropical Legume-III project during 2017–18. Our results show a very low level of technical efficiency of groundnut production in the regions and significant regional differences in TEs, TGRs, and Meta Technical Efficiencies (MTEs). The study identifies a tremendous scope to increase groundnut productivity and production in Tanzania by enhancing its production efficiency and the key drivers that may help harness this potential.
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spelling doaj.art-5a8c59df1f11475f9cb646814ee005652023-04-03T05:17:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2023-04-01710.3389/fsufs.2023.10272701027270Potential for increasing groundnut production in Tanzania by enhancing technical efficiency: A stochastic meta-frontier analysisAbhishek Das0Shalander Kumar1N. V. P. R. Ganga Rao2Enabling Systems Transformation, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Hyderabad, Telangana, IndiaEnabling Systems Transformation, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Hyderabad, Telangana, IndiaAccelerated Crop Improvement, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Nairobi, KenyaGroundnut crop is one of the major sources of financial and food security for a large number of Tanzanian smallholder farmers. However, the production of groundnuts in Tanzania is underdeveloped, and yields are reportedly 2.5 to 3 times lower than in other African nations such as Nigeria. There are a number of factors that contribute to lower yields including the cultivation of outdated plant varieties, increased climate variability, the infestation of pests and diseases, and the use of outdated farming techniques. To analyze the scope for increasing groundnut production, this study investigates and compares the technical efficiencies (TEs) and technological gap ratios (TGRs) in Tanzania's four main groundnut-producing regions, namely the Central zone, Lake Zone, Southern zone, Southern highland zone, by using a two-step meta frontier model. We used ICRISAT data collected under the Tropical Legume-III project during 2017–18. Our results show a very low level of technical efficiency of groundnut production in the regions and significant regional differences in TEs, TGRs, and Meta Technical Efficiencies (MTEs). The study identifies a tremendous scope to increase groundnut productivity and production in Tanzania by enhancing its production efficiency and the key drivers that may help harness this potential.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1027270/fullgroundnut productionTanzaniatechnical efficiencystochastic meta-frontiertechnology gap
spellingShingle Abhishek Das
Shalander Kumar
N. V. P. R. Ganga Rao
Potential for increasing groundnut production in Tanzania by enhancing technical efficiency: A stochastic meta-frontier analysis
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
groundnut production
Tanzania
technical efficiency
stochastic meta-frontier
technology gap
title Potential for increasing groundnut production in Tanzania by enhancing technical efficiency: A stochastic meta-frontier analysis
title_full Potential for increasing groundnut production in Tanzania by enhancing technical efficiency: A stochastic meta-frontier analysis
title_fullStr Potential for increasing groundnut production in Tanzania by enhancing technical efficiency: A stochastic meta-frontier analysis
title_full_unstemmed Potential for increasing groundnut production in Tanzania by enhancing technical efficiency: A stochastic meta-frontier analysis
title_short Potential for increasing groundnut production in Tanzania by enhancing technical efficiency: A stochastic meta-frontier analysis
title_sort potential for increasing groundnut production in tanzania by enhancing technical efficiency a stochastic meta frontier analysis
topic groundnut production
Tanzania
technical efficiency
stochastic meta-frontier
technology gap
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1027270/full
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AT shalanderkumar potentialforincreasinggroundnutproductionintanzaniabyenhancingtechnicalefficiencyastochasticmetafrontieranalysis
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