Vegetable production technical efficiency and technology gaps in Ghana

Abstract

This study characterizes the nature of the vegetable production shortfall throughout Ghana for remedial action to be taken. By applying the meta-stochastic frontier analysis to a sample of okra, pepper, and tomato farmers, the results show that the ranking of production inputs in production is in the order of the land, hired labor, fertilizer, pesticide, and family labor. Furthermore, the results also suggest that vegetable production is characterized by diseconomies of scale. Technical efficiency for okra, pepper, and tomato farmers in Ghana is estimated at 54%, 74%, and 58% respectively, and this has generally increased for okra and pepper but remained stable for tomato. Technology gaps are close to non-existent for pepper cultivation, modest for tomato, and severe for okra. This implies that, whilst there is no potential for production gain from redistributing pepper technology throughout Ghana, there is limited potential for tomato and substantial potential for okra. Pepper farmers could potentially benefit from managerial improvements.