Technical Efficiency and its Determinants in Smallholder Tea Production: Evidence from Nyamira and Bomet Counties in Kenya

The smallholder tea sub-sector in Kenya has enjoyed relative growth in acreage, output, and number of growers since its inception in the early 1960s, but productivity has remained low. There are huge differentials between actual and potential yields suggesting underlying production inefficiencies...

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Main Authors: Ateka, Josiah M., Onono, Perez A., Etyang, Martin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Global Journal of Science Frontier Research: D Agriculture and Veterinary 2021
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Online Access:https://repository.daystar.ac.ke/handle/123456789/3640
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author Ateka, Josiah M.
Onono, Perez A.
Etyang, Martin
author_facet Ateka, Josiah M.
Onono, Perez A.
Etyang, Martin
author_sort Ateka, Josiah M.
collection DSpace
description The smallholder tea sub-sector in Kenya has enjoyed relative growth in acreage, output, and number of growers since its inception in the early 1960s, but productivity has remained low. There are huge differentials between actual and potential yields suggesting underlying production inefficiencies. This study estimated the level of technical efficiency and analyzed its determinants among tea farmers from two selected counties in Kenya. Using data from a sample of 525 farm households, the non-parametric data envelopment analysis was applied to estimate technical efficiency scores. The scores were then regressed on a set of explanatory variables to establish their influence on efficiency. The average efficiency score of 0.46 indicates that overall productivity in Kenya’s smallholder tea sub-sector is low but has a potential to increase if most of the farmers can adopt practices of the frontier farms. The intensity of family labor use, farm size, age of the tea farm, education level of the household head, access to extension services through the farmer field schools, and the sale of green leaf through alternative marketing channels have a significant influence on levels of efficiency
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institution Daystar University
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publisher Global Journal of Science Frontier Research: D Agriculture and Veterinary
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spelling oai:repository.daystar.ac.ke:123456789-36402024-02-21T17:10:02Z Technical Efficiency and its Determinants in Smallholder Tea Production: Evidence from Nyamira and Bomet Counties in Kenya Ateka, Josiah M. Onono, Perez A. Etyang, Martin Smallholder Tea production Technical efficiency Fractional regression The smallholder tea sub-sector in Kenya has enjoyed relative growth in acreage, output, and number of growers since its inception in the early 1960s, but productivity has remained low. There are huge differentials between actual and potential yields suggesting underlying production inefficiencies. This study estimated the level of technical efficiency and analyzed its determinants among tea farmers from two selected counties in Kenya. Using data from a sample of 525 farm households, the non-parametric data envelopment analysis was applied to estimate technical efficiency scores. The scores were then regressed on a set of explanatory variables to establish their influence on efficiency. The average efficiency score of 0.46 indicates that overall productivity in Kenya’s smallholder tea sub-sector is low but has a potential to increase if most of the farmers can adopt practices of the frontier farms. The intensity of family labor use, farm size, age of the tea farm, education level of the household head, access to extension services through the farmer field schools, and the sale of green leaf through alternative marketing channels have a significant influence on levels of efficiency 2021-06-25T10:49:45Z 2021-06-25T10:49:45Z 2018 Article Ateka, J. M., Onono, P. A., & Etyang, M. (2018). Technical Efficiency and its Determinants in Smallholder Tea Production: Evidence from Nyamira and Bomet Counties in Kenya. Global Journal of Science Frontier Research: D Agriculture and Veterinary 18(3), 57-70. 2249-4626 https://repository.daystar.ac.ke/handle/123456789/3640 en application/pdf Global Journal of Science Frontier Research: D Agriculture and Veterinary
spellingShingle Smallholder
Tea production
Technical efficiency
Fractional regression
Ateka, Josiah M.
Onono, Perez A.
Etyang, Martin
Technical Efficiency and its Determinants in Smallholder Tea Production: Evidence from Nyamira and Bomet Counties in Kenya
title Technical Efficiency and its Determinants in Smallholder Tea Production: Evidence from Nyamira and Bomet Counties in Kenya
title_full Technical Efficiency and its Determinants in Smallholder Tea Production: Evidence from Nyamira and Bomet Counties in Kenya
title_fullStr Technical Efficiency and its Determinants in Smallholder Tea Production: Evidence from Nyamira and Bomet Counties in Kenya
title_full_unstemmed Technical Efficiency and its Determinants in Smallholder Tea Production: Evidence from Nyamira and Bomet Counties in Kenya
title_short Technical Efficiency and its Determinants in Smallholder Tea Production: Evidence from Nyamira and Bomet Counties in Kenya
title_sort technical efficiency and its determinants in smallholder tea production: evidence from nyamira and bomet counties in kenya
topic Smallholder
Tea production
Technical efficiency
Fractional regression
url https://repository.daystar.ac.ke/handle/123456789/3640
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