Productivity Growth of ECOWAS Common Crops: A Tale of Two Competing Frontier Methods of Analysis

Authors: J. O. Ajetomobi1, I. A. Adedeji2

Keywords: DEA, ECOWAS, Productivity growth, SFA


1Department of Agricultural Economics, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria (ijibby77mail.com)
2Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines productivity growth of 3 ECOWAS crops, namely, rice, cotton and millet, using both Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) and Data Envelopment analysis (DEA). The results show that the magnitude of productivity progress vary across models applied and by segmentation of the data set. Nevertheless, the overall results indicate that technical change has had the greatest impact on productivity and producers have tendencies to catch-up with front runners. A closer look at the total factor productivity differences in ECOWAS and pre-ECOWAS sub-period shows larger total factor productivity in ECOWAS period (1979-2005) than in pre-ECOWAS period for cotton and millet for SFA model. In terms of policy reform’s effects, productivity growth in ECOWAS and pre-ECOWAS sub-period differ across crops depending on model applied.

FULL TEXT

[Agroeconomia Croatica 6:2016 (1) 1-16]