COGENT FOOD & AGRICULTURE, vol.9, no.2191881, pp.1-20, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
Rice plays a major role in the fight against food insecurity in developing
countries such as Benin. The objective of this research is to evaluate the determinants of
technical efficiency, the factors influencing this efficiency, as well as the constraints
related to rice production in Benin. The technical efficiency levels were obtained from the
Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method and were regressed in a Tobit regression model
to assess the determinants of the efficiency of rice producers. Production constraints
were identified using Kendall’s W concordance test and descriptive statistics. The technical efficiency rate obtained was 51%. Inferential analysis showed that parameters such
as the age of the rice producer, household size, the amount of agricultural credit
obtained, and the use of inputs impact the technical efficiency of rice production. In
addition, most rice producers suffer from limited access to agricultural credit and adequate agricultural equipment, while their production is subject to climatic hazards.
Agricultural development policies related to the determinants of the technical efficiency
of rice production should be formulated in order to improve the efficiency of the producers in Benin Republic