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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Productivity Growth, Technical Progress and Efficiency Change in African Agriculture |
Author: | Nkamleu, Guy Blaise |
Year: | 2004 |
Periodical: | African Development Review |
Volume: | 16 |
Issue: | 1 |
Period: | April |
Pages: | 203-222 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Africa |
Subjects: | agricultural productivity agricultural technology Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment Development and Technology Economics and Trade History and Exploration |
External link: | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8268.2004.00089.x/pdf |
Abstract: | This paper examines the economic performance of the agricultural sector in a number of African countries using an international comparable data set and the latest technique for analysis. The paper focuses on growth in total factor productivity and its decomposition into technical change and efficiency change components. It uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) and panel data on 16 African countries over the period 1970-2001. It finds that, globally, during that period, total factor productivity experienced a positive evolution in the sampled countries. The good performance of the agricultural sector was due to good progress in technical efficiency rather than technical progress. The region suffered a regression in productivity in the 1970s, and made some progress during the 1980s and 1990s. The study also highlights the fact that technical change has been the main constraint on the achievement of high levels of total factor productivity during the reference period in sub-Saharan Africa. Contrariwise, in the Maghreb countries, technological change has been the main driving force of productivity growth. Finally, the results indicate that institutional factors as well as agroecological factors are important determinants of agricultural productivity growth. Bibliogr., sum. in English and French. [Journal abstract] |