Evaluating the impact of improved maize varieties on agricultural productivity and technical efficiency among smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: an empirical analysis
Agriculture is essential to South Africa’s economy, and maize is a crucial crop for smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape. Traditional maize varieties face challenges related to productivity and resilience, prompting the promotion of Improved Maize Varieties (IMVs) to enhance yields and efficiency...
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| Format: | Article |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | GM Crops & Food |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645698.2025.2476667 |
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| author | Lelethu Mdoda Nthabeleng Tamako Lungile S. Gidi Denver Naidoo |
| author_facet | Lelethu Mdoda Nthabeleng Tamako Lungile S. Gidi Denver Naidoo |
| author_sort | Lelethu Mdoda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Agriculture is essential to South Africa’s economy, and maize is a crucial crop for smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape. Traditional maize varieties face challenges related to productivity and resilience, prompting the promotion of Improved Maize Varieties (IMVs) to enhance yields and efficiency. This study investigates the impact of IMV adoption on agricultural productivity and technical efficiency in the region, addressing a gap in empirical evidence. Using a multistage random sampling approach, data was collected from 150 smallholder maize farmers and analyzed using stochastic production frontier, endogenous switching regression models, and the stochastic meta-frontier model. The study results reveal that 62% of the farmers are male, averaging 53 years old, and manage about four hectares with a mean monthly income of ZAR 3,562.13. Challenges, such as rainfall shortages and limited access to credit, hinder IMV adoption, although high access to extension services and diverse input use positively affect productivity. The adopted IMVs by farmers, including open-pollinated, hybrid, and genetically modified (GM) varieties, significantly boost maize yields and farm returns – yielding an average increase of 1.92 metric tonnes/ha and returns of ZAR 468.01 per hectare. Key adoption factors are education, farm size, and access to seeds and extension services, whereas barriers include market distance and family size. Technical efficiency is generally high at 74%, with farm size, seed, pesticides, agrochemicals, and fertilizers positively impacting maize production, whereas family labor negatively affects it. Factors such as age, education, and access to services significantly reduce technical inefficiency, while herd size, off-farm income, and distance to the market have mixed effects. The stochastic meta-frontier approach reveals that smallholder farmers adopting improved technologies show higher mean technical efficiency, indicating that advanced methods contribute to better resource use and productivity than traditional systems. This study suggests that targeted support is needed for farmers, enhancing access to extension services, affordable seeds, financial support, and investing in infrastructure and education can further improve adoption rates, technical efficiency, and overall productivity. Promoting improved technologies such as maize varieties will enhance the technical efficiency of farms, regardless of their adoption status. It would be key to improving overall agricultural productivity and farm household incomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a5312b01ec094a458ca8444028cc61d8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2164-5698 2164-5701 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
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| series | GM Crops & Food |
| spelling | doaj-art-a5312b01ec094a458ca8444028cc61d82025-08-20T03:50:17ZengTaylor & Francis GroupGM Crops & Food2164-56982164-57012025-12-0116127230410.1080/21645698.2025.2476667Evaluating the impact of improved maize varieties on agricultural productivity and technical efficiency among smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: an empirical analysisLelethu Mdoda0Nthabeleng Tamako1Lungile S. Gidi2Denver Naidoo3Discipline of Agricultural Economics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaAfrican Centre for Food Security (ACFS), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaDepartment of Agricultural Economics and Animal Science, University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), Sovenga, South AfricaAfrican Centre for Food Security (ACFS), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, South AfricaAgriculture is essential to South Africa’s economy, and maize is a crucial crop for smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape. Traditional maize varieties face challenges related to productivity and resilience, prompting the promotion of Improved Maize Varieties (IMVs) to enhance yields and efficiency. This study investigates the impact of IMV adoption on agricultural productivity and technical efficiency in the region, addressing a gap in empirical evidence. Using a multistage random sampling approach, data was collected from 150 smallholder maize farmers and analyzed using stochastic production frontier, endogenous switching regression models, and the stochastic meta-frontier model. The study results reveal that 62% of the farmers are male, averaging 53 years old, and manage about four hectares with a mean monthly income of ZAR 3,562.13. Challenges, such as rainfall shortages and limited access to credit, hinder IMV adoption, although high access to extension services and diverse input use positively affect productivity. The adopted IMVs by farmers, including open-pollinated, hybrid, and genetically modified (GM) varieties, significantly boost maize yields and farm returns – yielding an average increase of 1.92 metric tonnes/ha and returns of ZAR 468.01 per hectare. Key adoption factors are education, farm size, and access to seeds and extension services, whereas barriers include market distance and family size. Technical efficiency is generally high at 74%, with farm size, seed, pesticides, agrochemicals, and fertilizers positively impacting maize production, whereas family labor negatively affects it. Factors such as age, education, and access to services significantly reduce technical inefficiency, while herd size, off-farm income, and distance to the market have mixed effects. The stochastic meta-frontier approach reveals that smallholder farmers adopting improved technologies show higher mean technical efficiency, indicating that advanced methods contribute to better resource use and productivity than traditional systems. This study suggests that targeted support is needed for farmers, enhancing access to extension services, affordable seeds, financial support, and investing in infrastructure and education can further improve adoption rates, technical efficiency, and overall productivity. Promoting improved technologies such as maize varieties will enhance the technical efficiency of farms, regardless of their adoption status. It would be key to improving overall agricultural productivity and farm household incomes.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645698.2025.2476667Adoption ratesendogenous switching regressionimproved maize varietiesproductivitysmallholder farmersstochastic meta-frontier approach |
| spellingShingle | Lelethu Mdoda Nthabeleng Tamako Lungile S. Gidi Denver Naidoo Evaluating the impact of improved maize varieties on agricultural productivity and technical efficiency among smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: an empirical analysis GM Crops & Food Adoption rates endogenous switching regression improved maize varieties productivity smallholder farmers stochastic meta-frontier approach |
| title | Evaluating the impact of improved maize varieties on agricultural productivity and technical efficiency among smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: an empirical analysis |
| title_full | Evaluating the impact of improved maize varieties on agricultural productivity and technical efficiency among smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: an empirical analysis |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating the impact of improved maize varieties on agricultural productivity and technical efficiency among smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: an empirical analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating the impact of improved maize varieties on agricultural productivity and technical efficiency among smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: an empirical analysis |
| title_short | Evaluating the impact of improved maize varieties on agricultural productivity and technical efficiency among smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: an empirical analysis |
| title_sort | evaluating the impact of improved maize varieties on agricultural productivity and technical efficiency among smallholder farmers in the eastern cape south africa an empirical analysis |
| topic | Adoption rates endogenous switching regression improved maize varieties productivity smallholder farmers stochastic meta-frontier approach |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21645698.2025.2476667 |
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