Productivity and Efficiency Differentials Across Land Ownership Categories: Evidence from Smallholder Crop Farmers in Ghana
Abstract
Abstract This paper examines the performance of smallholder crop farmers across different land ownership categories in Ghana. Using a metafrontier model, the study estimates technical efficiencies and productivity levels among farmers with formal land deeds, those without deeds, and non-landowners. The results show that land, labor, and capital significantly impact crop production across ownership categories, while social capital, income, and demographics influence managerial performance. Farmers with formal land deeds and those cultivating family-owned land exhibited superior production technologies. Enhancing access to extension services, credit, and farmer-based organizations, alongside collaboration with traditional chiefs and family heads, can improve land tenure security and productivity.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Land Rights and Reforms
Agricultural Innovations and Practices
Agriculture
Land Use
Rural Development
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 410–441
- Publication date
- 27 March 2026
- Language
- EN