Effect of using a mobile phone on technical efficiency and productivity of climate-smart horticulture farmers in Taita-Taveta county, Kenya.

ABSTRACT: Horticulture is highly affected by climate variability. Various measures including climate-smart horticulture (CSH) practices are applied by farmers to curb the severity of climate change. Some farmers use mobile phones to access information and enhance their knowledge and skills related to CSH. However, the empirical effect of mobile phone usage on productivity of CSH farmers remains unclear. To address this, the study analyzed primary data from 403 farmers in Taita-Taveta County. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) technique was used to assess technical efficiency (TE), while a two-stage model incorporating partial factor productivity and a Tobit model was employed to examine the effect of mobile phone use on CSH productivity. Results showed that farmers' TE scores were 24.9 %, 34.3 % and 54

SUBMITTER: Mwikamba JN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11388745 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature