International Journal of Agricultural Economics

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Regional Differences in Technology Gap Ratio and Efficiency in African Agriculture: A Stochastic Metafrontier Analysis

Received: 26 May 2020    Accepted: 09 June 2020    Published: 20 June 2020
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Abstract

Agriculture plays an important role in the African continent’s growth. However, regions’ characteristics differences explain different types of production technologies use leading to a technological gap which delays these regions’ economic convergence. This article uses the stochastic metafrontier analysis based on a new approach for Technical Efficiency’s (TE) estimation and the technological gap ratios (TGR) of the agricultural production of the five African regions from 1980 to 2012. The results reveal a very high average TE score of 92.73% of the five regions whereas a low TGR score of 35.63% is noticed. The EAST region is the closest one to the best technology available with a 68.73% score. Besides, these results also show the existence of a catch-up phenomenon between low TGR level countries and those with higher TGR level. Zimbabwe has the highest catch-up score with a yearly average of 3%. Considering the agricultural sector's importance in Africa's national production, the results suggest increasing investments in Research and Development, popularizing services, and a policy of larger expansion of the technologies applied by the regions close to the optimal technology in order to facilitate new agricultural production techniques’ adoption and development. Agriculture plays an important role in the growth of the African continent. However, regions diversity of characteristics explains the use of different types of production technologies, resulting in a technology gap that delays the economic convergence of these regions.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijae.20200503.14
Published in International Journal of Agricultural Economics (Volume 5, Issue 3, May 2020)
Page(s) 80-88
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This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Metafrontier, Technical Efficiency, Technological gap, Agricultural, Africa

References
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Author Information
  • Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Policies, National University of Agriculture, Porto-Novo, Benin; Laboratory of Financial Development and Finance Research, University of Abomey-Calavi, Abomey-Calavi, Benin

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    Abraham Amoussouga Gero. (2020). Regional Differences in Technology Gap Ratio and Efficiency in African Agriculture: A Stochastic Metafrontier Analysis. International Journal of Agricultural Economics, 5(3), 80-88. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijae.20200503.14

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    Abraham Amoussouga Gero. Regional Differences in Technology Gap Ratio and Efficiency in African Agriculture: A Stochastic Metafrontier Analysis. Int. J. Agric. Econ. 2020, 5(3), 80-88. doi: 10.11648/j.ijae.20200503.14

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    Abraham Amoussouga Gero. Regional Differences in Technology Gap Ratio and Efficiency in African Agriculture: A Stochastic Metafrontier Analysis. Int J Agric Econ. 2020;5(3):80-88. doi: 10.11648/j.ijae.20200503.14

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijae.20200503.14,
      author = {Abraham Amoussouga Gero},
      title = {Regional Differences in Technology Gap Ratio and Efficiency in African Agriculture: A Stochastic Metafrontier Analysis},
      journal = {International Journal of Agricultural Economics},
      volume = {5},
      number = {3},
      pages = {80-88},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijae.20200503.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijae.20200503.14},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijae.20200503.14},
      abstract = {Agriculture plays an important role in the African continent’s growth. However, regions’ characteristics differences explain different types of production technologies use leading to a technological gap which delays these regions’ economic convergence. This article uses the stochastic metafrontier analysis based on a new approach for Technical Efficiency’s (TE) estimation and the technological gap ratios (TGR) of the agricultural production of the five African regions from 1980 to 2012. The results reveal a very high average TE score of 92.73% of the five regions whereas a low TGR score of 35.63% is noticed. The EAST region is the closest one to the best technology available with a 68.73% score. Besides, these results also show the existence of a catch-up phenomenon between low TGR level countries and those with higher TGR level. Zimbabwe has the highest catch-up score with a yearly average of 3%. Considering the agricultural sector's importance in Africa's national production, the results suggest increasing investments in Research and Development, popularizing services, and a policy of larger expansion of the technologies applied by the regions close to the optimal technology in order to facilitate new agricultural production techniques’ adoption and development. Agriculture plays an important role in the growth of the African continent. However, regions diversity of characteristics explains the use of different types of production technologies, resulting in a technology gap that delays the economic convergence of these regions.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Regional Differences in Technology Gap Ratio and Efficiency in African Agriculture: A Stochastic Metafrontier Analysis
    AU  - Abraham Amoussouga Gero
    Y1  - 2020/06/20
    PY  - 2020
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijae.20200503.14
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijae.20200503.14
    T2  - International Journal of Agricultural Economics
    JF  - International Journal of Agricultural Economics
    JO  - International Journal of Agricultural Economics
    SP  - 80
    EP  - 88
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-3843
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijae.20200503.14
    AB  - Agriculture plays an important role in the African continent’s growth. However, regions’ characteristics differences explain different types of production technologies use leading to a technological gap which delays these regions’ economic convergence. This article uses the stochastic metafrontier analysis based on a new approach for Technical Efficiency’s (TE) estimation and the technological gap ratios (TGR) of the agricultural production of the five African regions from 1980 to 2012. The results reveal a very high average TE score of 92.73% of the five regions whereas a low TGR score of 35.63% is noticed. The EAST region is the closest one to the best technology available with a 68.73% score. Besides, these results also show the existence of a catch-up phenomenon between low TGR level countries and those with higher TGR level. Zimbabwe has the highest catch-up score with a yearly average of 3%. Considering the agricultural sector's importance in Africa's national production, the results suggest increasing investments in Research and Development, popularizing services, and a policy of larger expansion of the technologies applied by the regions close to the optimal technology in order to facilitate new agricultural production techniques’ adoption and development. Agriculture plays an important role in the growth of the African continent. However, regions diversity of characteristics explains the use of different types of production technologies, resulting in a technology gap that delays the economic convergence of these regions.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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