Review on Factors Affecting Technical Efficiency of Sorghum Production by Smallholder Farmers in Ethiopia

Abstract

Sorghum is the most important cereal crop in the Ethiopia for home consumption and for marketing. Previous studies have indicated that farm production and productivity can possibly be raised by allocating more area for production, by developing and adopting of new technologies, and/or by utilizing the available resources more efficiently. Increasing productivity through enhanced sorghum production efficiency could be an important move towards food security. In Ethiopia sorghum production levels and rates have been increasing due to the development and dissemination of improved sorghum technologies. Despite these efforts by the government, smallholders’ sorghum productivity has remained below potential. However, empirical studies conducted to estimate level of efficiencies and to identify its determining factors in sorghum production which would guide policy makers in their efforts are sparse. The main objective of this review is assessing the determinants of technical efficiency in sorghum production in Ethiopia. In these review factors like farm plot, age, education, and distance to all weather roads, livestock holding, participation in soil and water conservation activities, Knowledge about land policy, off-farm and investment on fertilizers, frequency of extension contact, share cropping credit access, crop diversification, and. The sorghum farms were being operated below level of technical efficiency. This implies that a large number of sorghum farms in the Ethiopia faced inefficiency problems.

Keywords: Sorghum, Technical efficiency, Determinants, Ethiopia

DOI: 10.7176/JESD/11-9-07

Publication date:May 31^st 2020