Abstract
Manual weeding is the predominant weed control practice and the most labor-consuming activity in smallholder, rainfed rice systems in sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigates the technical inefficiency of weeding labor, other labor, and overall inputs, and identifies sources of technical inefficiency of weeding labor in the context of parasitic weed infestation. The analysis applies a two-stage approach. First, a directional input distance function DEA approach was used to compute input-specific technical inefficiencies. Second, sources of technical inefficiency of weeding labor were identified using a truncated bootstrap regression. Data from 406 randomly selected smallholder farmers from Benin (n = 215) and Côte d'Ivoire (n = 191) were used. The technical inefficiency of weeding labor was high in both countries (58% in Côte d'Ivoire and 69% in Benin). This implies that a substantial fraction of weeding labor could be saved without reducing rice productivity or increasing the use of other inputs. A decrease in the technical inefficiency of weeding labor with an increase in production scale was observed. In addition, weeding regime and education level were each associated to significant changes in the technical inefficiency of weeding labor.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 151-163 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Agricultural Economics (United Kingdom) |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 23 Dec 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2019 |
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Keywords
- Bootstrapping
- C01
- C02
- C14
- C34
- Data Envelopment Analysis
- Rice vampire weed
- Smallholder farming
- Witchweed
Cite this
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Inefficiency of manual weeding in rainfed rice systems affected by parasitic weeds. / N'cho, Simon Akahoua; Mourits, Monique; Rodenburg, Jonne; Oude Lansink, Alfons.
In: Agricultural Economics (United Kingdom), Vol. 50, No. 2, 03.2019, p. 151-163.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Inefficiency of manual weeding in rainfed rice systems affected by parasitic weeds
AU - N'cho, Simon Akahoua
AU - Mourits, Monique
AU - Rodenburg, Jonne
AU - Oude Lansink, Alfons
PY - 2019/3
Y1 - 2019/3
N2 - Manual weeding is the predominant weed control practice and the most labor-consuming activity in smallholder, rainfed rice systems in sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigates the technical inefficiency of weeding labor, other labor, and overall inputs, and identifies sources of technical inefficiency of weeding labor in the context of parasitic weed infestation. The analysis applies a two-stage approach. First, a directional input distance function DEA approach was used to compute input-specific technical inefficiencies. Second, sources of technical inefficiency of weeding labor were identified using a truncated bootstrap regression. Data from 406 randomly selected smallholder farmers from Benin (n = 215) and Côte d'Ivoire (n = 191) were used. The technical inefficiency of weeding labor was high in both countries (58% in Côte d'Ivoire and 69% in Benin). This implies that a substantial fraction of weeding labor could be saved without reducing rice productivity or increasing the use of other inputs. A decrease in the technical inefficiency of weeding labor with an increase in production scale was observed. In addition, weeding regime and education level were each associated to significant changes in the technical inefficiency of weeding labor.
AB - Manual weeding is the predominant weed control practice and the most labor-consuming activity in smallholder, rainfed rice systems in sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigates the technical inefficiency of weeding labor, other labor, and overall inputs, and identifies sources of technical inefficiency of weeding labor in the context of parasitic weed infestation. The analysis applies a two-stage approach. First, a directional input distance function DEA approach was used to compute input-specific technical inefficiencies. Second, sources of technical inefficiency of weeding labor were identified using a truncated bootstrap regression. Data from 406 randomly selected smallholder farmers from Benin (n = 215) and Côte d'Ivoire (n = 191) were used. The technical inefficiency of weeding labor was high in both countries (58% in Côte d'Ivoire and 69% in Benin). This implies that a substantial fraction of weeding labor could be saved without reducing rice productivity or increasing the use of other inputs. A decrease in the technical inefficiency of weeding labor with an increase in production scale was observed. In addition, weeding regime and education level were each associated to significant changes in the technical inefficiency of weeding labor.
KW - Bootstrapping
KW - C01
KW - C02
KW - C14
KW - C34
KW - Data Envelopment Analysis
KW - Rice vampire weed
KW - Smallholder farming
KW - Witchweed
U2 - 10.1111/agec.12473
DO - 10.1111/agec.12473
M3 - Article
VL - 50
SP - 151
EP - 163
JO - Agricultural Economics
JF - Agricultural Economics
SN - 0169-5150
IS - 2
ER -