Analysis of economic efficiency and determinants of the efficiency scores of women shea butter producers in Northern Benin

Abstract

The production of shea butter occupies an important place among the income-generating activities of rural women in the North of Benin. In order to alleviate the difficulties related to this noble activity and to increase the productivity of the women processors, many equipment have been introduced in the production process. In the first hand, these equipments contribute to agricultural mechanization of the shea sector and in its organization in the second hand. They are largely adopted by women process of 2KP (Kouande and Pehunco Kerou). This study aims to analyze the economic efficiency and the determinants of the efficiency scores of women shea butter producers in the 2KP of Northern Benin. For this reason, a sample of 200 women processors has been constituted and Cobb Douglas functional model has been used to analyze empirical data. The results have shown that the average scores of techniques and allocative efficiency achieved by processor women are 59% and 53% respectively. Also, the economic efficiency of processors shifts from one butter processing system to another. Thus, the modern system has an efficiency score of 58%, followed by the semi-modern system with an efficiency score of 51% and the traditional system with an efficiency score of 48%, showing that processor women are on average effective in the allocation of inputs and in their combination considering their market price. Moreover, among the determinants of the efficiency levels, there are processor women's experiences, their instruction level, their access to credit and to extinction services, etc., which positively influence the economic efficiency level, while the distance processor women run to have access to equipment (mill for example), affect them negatively. For this reason, it is necessary to consider giving or granting and modern processing equipment (mill, crusher, roaster, etc.) to women and strengthening their production capacity in order to improve their economic efficiency.

Keywords: economic efficiency of women, shea butter, agricultural mechanization, determinants, norther Benin.

Classification JEL : D61 Q13

Paper type : empirical Research