Thumbnail Image

On the costs of being small: Case evidence from Kenyan family farms

Year of publication 2017

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 60 p.

Author Karfakis, P., Ponzini, G., Rapsomanikis, G.

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (series)

ISBN 978-92-5-109837-0

Series title FAO Agricultural Development Economics Working Paper

Series number No. 17-03

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) We analyze allocative efficiency of major input factors for farmers in Kenya. Marginal value products are estimated for land, labor, inorganic fertilizer and seeds, at the farm household level and compared with marginal costs as approximated by their prevailing market prices. Price efficient and inefficient farmers are identified and equivalent value losses are computed as shares of household income, per hectare and for the society. A very high proportion of farmers are characterized as allocati vely inefficient and substantial equivalent value losses are estimated for all factors. In the case of labor, losses are sufficiently high that if labor is paid the market wage rate instead, income from agriculture would double. Among other factors, inefficiency levels are correlated with farm size; as farm size increases, losses as share of household income decline for labor but increase for land, fertilizer and seeds. Losses per hectare for all inputs decline with farm size. Finally the correl ates of inefficiency levels are explored systematically. Overall, lack of access to resources is the major reason that some inputs are underemployed. On the other hand, lack of alternative opportunities is a basic reason that factors are overused.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Rural Communication Services for Family Farming: Contributions, Evidence and Perspectives
    Results of the Forum on Communication for Development and Community Media for Family Farming (FCCM). Rome, Italy, 23-24 October 2014
    2016
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    Supporting dialogic communication and knowledge sharing processes is a powerful means of helping farmer organizations, indigenous peoples, rural communities and civil society organizations to make their voices heard and be part of the development agenda. Rural communication services and policies can translate farmers’ right to communication into fair and transparent regulatory frameworks that will allow equitable access to information and communication services in rural areas and ensure the acti ve participation of smallholder and family farmers. During the International Year of Family Farming, FAO convened an international Forum on Communication for Development & Community Media for Family Farming (FCCM), in collaboration with the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC). The Forum participants addressed opportunities for promoting rural communication services as sustained, inclusive and efficient communication processes involving family farmers and the rural populatio n, and considered how to better integrate these services into agricultural policies.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet
    Country factsheet on small family farms: Malawi 2018
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The Smallholder Farmers’ Data portrait is a comprehensive, systematic and standardized data set on the profile of smallholder farmers across the world. This Factsheet generates an overview on how small family farmers in Malawi live their lives by using the Data Portrait, putting an emphasis on the constraints they face, the choices they make.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet
    Country factsheet on small family farms: Ethiopia 2018
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The Smallholder Farmers’ Data portrait is a comprehensive, systematic and standardized data set on the profile of smallholder farmers across the world. This Factsheet generates an overview on how small family farmers in Ethiopia live their lives by using the Data Portrait, putting an emphasis on the constraints they face, the choices they make
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.