Analysis of technical efficiency of small-scale maize producers: a case study in Tsolo magisterial district in O.R Tambo district in the Eastern Cape of South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorObi, Ajuruchukwuen
dc.contributor.authorAvuletey, Richarden
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-28T10:31:02Z
dc.date.available2026-07-28T10:31:02Z
dc.date.issued2014en
dc.description.abstractMaize is the most important cereal crop grown in South Africa. This crop is produced throughout the country under diverse conditions and in diverse environments. The study only focuses on technical efficiency because it is an important subject in developing agriculture where resources are limited, but high population growth is very common. In such a setting, increased output will depend more on efficiency improvements and assessing the scope for such efficiency improvements within the system is a crucial need. The objective of the study was to determine the level of technical efficiency and to identify the socio-economic and institutional characteristics as well as the entrepreneurial spirit that influence the technical efficiency of small-scale maize producers in the Tsolo magisterial district. Purposive and Snowball sampling techniques were used to collect primary data from 120 small-scale farmers. The stochastic frontier model was used to determine the level of technical efficiency. The Multivariate OLS was used to analyze the socio-economic factors and institutional characteristics that have influenced the technical efficiency of maize production. A similar linear regression model was used to estimate the influence of positive psychological capital and entrepreneurial spirit on the technical efficiency of maize production. The stochastic results revealed that small-scale farmers in Tsolo are technically efficient at 98 percent in maize production and experience increasing return to scale (1.37), which means that increase in the use of inputs, will as well increase their productivity and efficiency. The inefficiency model results indicated that age, years in farming, household size and extension contact significant and 3 variables, namely, as years in farming, extension contact and farm size are significant in the OLS model. Lastly the results of the linear regression indicated that, out of the 4 variables estimated in the entrepreneurial spirit, self-efficacy and resilience were significant with respect to its responsiveness to total maize output.en
dc.format134 leaves; 30 cmen
dc.formatpdfen
dc.identifier.citationAvuletey, Richard. 2014en
dc.identifier.othervital:11210en
dc.identifier.otherhttp://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1016191en
dc.identifier.otherCorn -- Fertilizers -- South Africa -- Eastern Capeen
dc.identifier.otherCorn -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Capeen
dc.identifier.otherEntrepreneurship -- South Africa -- Eastern Capeen
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/4217
dc.language.isoEnglishen
dc.publisherUniversity of Fort Hareen
dc.publisherFaculty of Science & Agricultureen
dc.rightsUniversity of Fort Hareen
dc.subjectCorn -- Fertilizers -- South Africa -- Eastern Capeen
dc.subjectCorn -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Capeen
dc.subjectEntrepreneurship -- South Africa -- Eastern Capeen
dc.titleAnalysis of technical efficiency of small-scale maize producers: a case study in Tsolo magisterial district in O.R Tambo district in the Eastern Cape of South Africaen
dc.title.alternativeAnalysis of technical efficiency of small-scale maize producers: a case study in Tsolo magisterial district in O.R Tambo district in the Eastern Cape of South Africaen
dc.typeThesisen
dc.typeMastersen
dc.typeMSc Agric (Agricultural Economics)en

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