Agricultural Productivity in Zimbabwe, 1970-90

Thirtle, Colin; Atkins, Jon; Bottomley, Paul Andrew; Gonese, Nancy; Govereh, Jones; Khatri, Yougesh

doi:10.2307/2234787

Cited by 28 publications

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“…There is evidence of significant productivity growth in some countries (Thirtle et aL, 1993). These exceptions to the general pattern of stagnation beg the question of how such success might be replicated elsewhere in SSA.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources of agricultural productivity growth and stagnation in sub‐Saharan Africa

Frisvold

Ingram

1995

Agricultural Economics

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This paper examines sources of agricultural growth in sub-Saharan Africa. Growth in the stock of traditional inputs (land, labor, livestock) remains the dominant source of output growth. Growth in modern input use was of secondary importance, but still accounted for a 0.2-0.4% annual growth rate in three of four sub-regions.Econometric results support earlier studies that suggest that land abundance may be a constraint on land productivity growth. Growth in agricultural exports and historic calorie availability had positive impacts on productivity. These latter results suggest that positive feedback effects exist between export performance and food security on one hand and agricultural productivity on the other. • Corresponding author. 1 The views expressed are the authors' and are not necessarily those of USDA. 0169·5150/95/$09.50 © 1995 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved SSDI 0169·5150(95)01143·9

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources of agricultural productivity growth and stagnation in sub‐Saharan Africa

Frisvold

Ingram

1995

Agricultural Economics

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“…In ex-ante studies allowing for international spillovers, much of the work is in determining the likely multinational adoption patterns of new technologies developed in a particular location after having estimated the odds of successful research and the extent and nature of the resulting technological improvement. The issue of country-country spillovers of one country's research often arises in agencies such as the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), or international agencies such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), or in the Consultative 13 Among the exceptions, Bouchet et al (1989), allowed for spill-ins of agricultural R&D in a model of agricultural productivity in France, as did Evenson and McKinsey (1991) for India, for South Africa, for Zimbabwe (see also Thirtle et al 1993), and Nagy (1984, 1985 for Pakistan.…”

Section: Country-country Spillovers In Ex-ante Models Of Specific Cropsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spillovers

Alston

2002

Aus J Agri & Res Econ

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Interstate and international spillovers from public agricultural research and development (R&D) investments account for a significant share of agricultural productivity growth. Hence, spillovers of agricultural R&D results across geopolitical boundaries have implications for measures of research impacts on productivity, and the implied rates of return to research, as well as for state, national and international agricultural research policy. In studies of aggregate state or national agricultural productivity, interstate or international R&D spillovers might account for half or more of the total measured productivity growth. Similarly, results from studies of particular crop technologies indicate that international technology spillovers, and multinational impacts of technologies from international centres, were important elements in the total picture of agricultural development in the 20th Century. Within countries, funding institutions have been developed to address spatial spillovers of agricultural technologies. The fact that corresponding institutions have not been developed for international spillovers has contributed to a global underinvestment in certain types of agricultural research.

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“…According to Thirtle et al. (), the rapid growth in agricultural TFP in Zimbabwe was attributed to adoption of green revolution technologies in the 1980s by commercial farmers, which also spread to the communal areas. Conversely, the poor performance of agriculture in Botswana can be attributed to frequent droughts, low rainfall and unsuitable soils (Temoso, Villano, & Hadley, ), and low levels of adoption of improved technologies (Seleka & Lekobane, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The neighboring countries of South Africa and Zimbabwe have experienced high productivity growth and hence have been the biggest exporters of agricultural produce in Africa. 2 According to Thirtle et al (1993), the rapid growth in agricultural TFP in Zimbabwe was attributed to adoption of green revolution technologies in the 1980s by commercial farmers, which also spread to the communal areas. Conversely, the poor performance of agriculture in Botswana can be attributed to frequent droughts, low rainfall and unsuitable soils , and low levels of adoption of improved technologies (Seleka & Lekobane, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources of efficiency, productivity and output growth in Botswana agriculture

Temoso

Hadley

Villano

2018

Review Development Economics

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The purpose of this study is to explore reasons for the decline in agricultural performance in Botswana that has occurred during the implementation of a variety of policy measures, as well as the introduction of new technologies, and to identify ways in which it might be reversed. Panel data from six regions in Botswana (period 1979–2012) is analyzed with a stochastic output distance function and inefficiency effects model. We decompose agricultural output growth into; total factor productivity (TFP) and changes in input use (factors of production). TFP is further decomposed into scale effects, technical efficiency and technological change. The results show that over the study period agricultural output grew at a very low rate of 0.072 percent per year, which is largely due to a growth in factors of production at 0.071 percent per year rather than TFP growth (which declined at 0.003 percent per year). We found that the decline in productivity has been due to technological regress and low growth in technical efficiency and scale efficiency. Policy options aimed at improving agricultural productivity and output growth will require the strengthening of extension services; improving the agronomic and husbandry management skills of farmers through training; and by encouraging farmers to adopt and utilize technologies that have been provided under existing policy programs.

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Agricultural Productivity in Zimbabwe, 1970-90

Cited by 28 publications

References 0 publications

Sources of agricultural productivity growth and stagnation in sub‐Saharan Africa

Sources of agricultural productivity growth and stagnation in sub‐Saharan Africa

Spillovers

Sources of efficiency, productivity and output growth in Botswana agriculture

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