AN ANALYSIS OF TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF MIXED INTERCROPPING AND RELAY CROPPING AGROFORESTRY TECHNOLOGIES: A CASE OF ZOMBA DISTRICT IN MALAWI

Abstract

The study was conducted in Zomba district with the main objective of assessing technical efficiency (TE) of mixed intercropping (MI) and relay cropping (RC) agroforestry technologies (AT). Study population consisted of 101 and 74 farmers practicing MI and RC agroforestry technologies, respectively, and 120 non-adopters of agroforestry (NA). Analyses involved three separate estimations of MI and RC agroforestry technologies, and NA of agroforestry stochastic frontier production functions (SFPF). Technical inefficiency (TI) components were simultaneously estimated with the TEs during the estimation of the SFPFs. Factors responsible for TI were separately regressed on the TI components of the three categories of farmers. Mean TE of MI, RC and NA were 0.62, 0.57 and 0.46, respectively. Results showed that the farmers have TIs with 51%, 33% and 38% of MI, RC and NA, respectively producing maize below the mean TE levels. Results also showed that age and education of household head in MI, age of household head and land fragmentation in RC and period of farming and land fragmentation in NA determine TI. The following recommendations were made in the study. There is need to address TIs by increasing accessibility and use of inorganic fertilizer, and by improving the quality of training of the farmers. There is also need to reduce TE variations through intensification of extension contact with the farmers. Finally, similar research should be extended to alley cropping and improved fallow agroforestry technologies.