Exploring the nexus between health status, technical efficiency, and welfare of small-scale cereal farmers in Tanzania: A stochastic frontier analysis
Cereal production is important component of Tanzania's agricultural sector, as it provides food security and income for a significant portion of the population. However, low levels of technical efficiency and the negative impact of ill-health on cereal productivity have posed significant obstac...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-03-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Agriculture and Food Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324000334 |
| _version_ | 1797271276021088256 |
|---|---|
| author | Felician Andrew Kitole Felister Y. Tibamanya Jennifer Kasanda Sesabo |
| author_facet | Felician Andrew Kitole Felister Y. Tibamanya Jennifer Kasanda Sesabo |
| author_sort | Felician Andrew Kitole |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cereal production is important component of Tanzania's agricultural sector, as it provides food security and income for a significant portion of the population. However, low levels of technical efficiency and the negative impact of ill-health on cereal productivity have posed significant obstacles to the welfare of small-scale farmers in the country. This study estimates the technical efficiency of cereal producers in Tanzania, investigates the relationship between farmer health and cereal productivity, and establishes a link between technical efficiency and the welfare of smallholder farmers. Using data from the Tanzania Agriculture Sample Census survey 2019/20, the stochastic frontier production function was used to estimate technical efficiencies, while Tobit and instrumental variables models analyzed the impact of health on cereal production efficiency and the effects of efficiency on the welfare of cereal's small-scale farmers respectively. The findings indicate that the overall technical efficiency of cereal producers in Tanzania is 44.44%, with pure technical efficiency standing at 56.50%. In addition, poor health reduces the likelihood of cereal productivity efficiency by 0.297 (p < 0.01). In addition, efficiency was found to significantly improve household welfare, as it increases food security (0.35327, p < 0.01), household income (0.2914, p < 0.01), and nutrition status by reducing malnutrition (−0.36607, p < 0.01). The study recommends that rural agriculture development programs include health components to increase productivity, sustainability, and ultimately the standard of living of rural communities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:00:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bcc1e5b1366d47de9d814ff7616848a4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-1543 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:00:23Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Agriculture and Food Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-bcc1e5b1366d47de9d814ff7616848a42024-03-07T05:29:52ZengElsevierJournal of Agriculture and Food Research2666-15432024-03-0115100996Exploring the nexus between health status, technical efficiency, and welfare of small-scale cereal farmers in Tanzania: A stochastic frontier analysisFelician Andrew Kitole0Felister Y. Tibamanya1Jennifer Kasanda Sesabo2Institute of Development Studies, Mzumbe University, P.O BOX 83, Tanzania; Corresponding author.Department of Economics, Mzumbe University, P.O BOX 5, TanzaniaDepartment of Economics, Mzumbe University, P.O BOX 5, TanzaniaCereal production is important component of Tanzania's agricultural sector, as it provides food security and income for a significant portion of the population. However, low levels of technical efficiency and the negative impact of ill-health on cereal productivity have posed significant obstacles to the welfare of small-scale farmers in the country. This study estimates the technical efficiency of cereal producers in Tanzania, investigates the relationship between farmer health and cereal productivity, and establishes a link between technical efficiency and the welfare of smallholder farmers. Using data from the Tanzania Agriculture Sample Census survey 2019/20, the stochastic frontier production function was used to estimate technical efficiencies, while Tobit and instrumental variables models analyzed the impact of health on cereal production efficiency and the effects of efficiency on the welfare of cereal's small-scale farmers respectively. The findings indicate that the overall technical efficiency of cereal producers in Tanzania is 44.44%, with pure technical efficiency standing at 56.50%. In addition, poor health reduces the likelihood of cereal productivity efficiency by 0.297 (p < 0.01). In addition, efficiency was found to significantly improve household welfare, as it increases food security (0.35327, p < 0.01), household income (0.2914, p < 0.01), and nutrition status by reducing malnutrition (−0.36607, p < 0.01). The study recommends that rural agriculture development programs include health components to increase productivity, sustainability, and ultimately the standard of living of rural communities.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324000334Health statusCereals small-scale farmersTechnical efficiencyStochastic frontier analysisTanzania |
| spellingShingle | Felician Andrew Kitole Felister Y. Tibamanya Jennifer Kasanda Sesabo Exploring the nexus between health status, technical efficiency, and welfare of small-scale cereal farmers in Tanzania: A stochastic frontier analysis Journal of Agriculture and Food Research Health status Cereals small-scale farmers Technical efficiency Stochastic frontier analysis Tanzania |
| title | Exploring the nexus between health status, technical efficiency, and welfare of small-scale cereal farmers in Tanzania: A stochastic frontier analysis |
| title_full | Exploring the nexus between health status, technical efficiency, and welfare of small-scale cereal farmers in Tanzania: A stochastic frontier analysis |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the nexus between health status, technical efficiency, and welfare of small-scale cereal farmers in Tanzania: A stochastic frontier analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the nexus between health status, technical efficiency, and welfare of small-scale cereal farmers in Tanzania: A stochastic frontier analysis |
| title_short | Exploring the nexus between health status, technical efficiency, and welfare of small-scale cereal farmers in Tanzania: A stochastic frontier analysis |
| title_sort | exploring the nexus between health status technical efficiency and welfare of small scale cereal farmers in tanzania a stochastic frontier analysis |
| topic | Health status Cereals small-scale farmers Technical efficiency Stochastic frontier analysis Tanzania |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324000334 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT felicianandrewkitole exploringthenexusbetweenhealthstatustechnicalefficiencyandwelfareofsmallscalecerealfarmersintanzaniaastochasticfrontieranalysis AT felisterytibamanya exploringthenexusbetweenhealthstatustechnicalefficiencyandwelfareofsmallscalecerealfarmersintanzaniaastochasticfrontieranalysis AT jenniferkasandasesabo exploringthenexusbetweenhealthstatustechnicalefficiencyandwelfareofsmallscalecerealfarmersintanzaniaastochasticfrontieranalysis |