Productivity and technical efficiency of egg production in Tanzania under the intensive system: a case study of Ilala and Kibaha districts
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Date
2008
Authors
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
This study examined the productivity and technical efficiency of egg production in
Tanzania under the intensive system. The study also attempted to identify the factors
constraining egg production. A multistage random sampling procedure was
employed for the selection of 80 respondents from two districts; Kibaha and Ilala in
the Coastal and Dar es Salaam region respectively. The study used a stochastic
frontier production functions in which the technical inefficiency effects are assumed
to be functions of some socio-economic characteristics and management practices of
the fanner which influence the technical efficiency for eggs production. This study
utilizes the most recent development in stochastic frontier modeling by a one-step
process in Limdep software. Results show that egg production was in the rational
stage of production (stage II) as depicted by the Returns to Scale (RTS) of about 1.3.
The variables of interest were effectively allocated and used, as confirmed by each
variable having estimated coefficient value between zero and unity. Empirical results
indicated that the mean technical efficiency of egg production is 64 percent;
however, this ranged from 4 to 90 percent. The family size, employment status, types
of heating and lighting equipments, age of the farm attendant, and sex of the
household head affect the technical efficiency. The study further found out that the
farm technical efficiency is positively related to net profit. In general, the study
revealed the existence of considerable economic efficiency in production. However.
diseases, lack of credits, high input costs, and improper marketing arrangements are
the major constraining factors in egg production. The findings of this study showed
that there is the need for governmental and/or private institutions interventions to
improve the production and marketing performance of poultry by providing the
necessary institutional support to the smallholder farmers in the study areas to
improve their efficiency.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Egg production, Poultry production systems, Layers production