Technical and allocative efficiency gains from integrated soil fertility management in the maize farming system of Kenya

Declining land productivity and
per capita
food availability poses challenges to overcoming land
degradation and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. There is a need to identify ways of improving land
productivity particularly among smallholders. This study investigated the contribution of integrated soil
fertility management (ISFM) practices to both technical and allocative efficiencies in the maize farming
system of Kenya. To determine efficiency gains from ISFM, we compared efficiencies of two groups of
smallholders: those within the contact areas and their counterfactuals. We estimated Cobb-Douglas
stochastic functions based on maize production data collected from a stratified sample of 373 farmers.
The results indicate that farmers who applied ISFM were more efficient both technically and allocatively
than those who did not. Application of ISFM practices increased technical and allocative efficiencies by
26 and 30%, respectively
.
However, other favourable factors are required for farmers to realize
maximum efficiency gains from maize farming activity. They included farming experience, extension
contacts, off-farm income and market access. Therefore, policies and practices aimed at enhancing
farming efficiency in smallholder
agriculture should address these factors. We recommend increased
dissemination of ISFM technologies to the wider farming community through effective and participatory
approaches to increase efficiency and enhance farm returns.