Technical and economic efficiency of rice production in west Africa: case of Benin

The primary data from this research, which was conducted to examine the technical and economic efficiency of rice production in Benin and the factors affecting this efficiency, were obtained through a questionnaire carried out in 2021 with 200 farms in the provinces of N'Dali, Karimama, Gogounou and Kouandé in Benin. Rice production in northern Benin is economically profitable. The Net Operating Income (NOI) generated is equivalent to $ 1,454 per hectare. Profitability indicators were also calculated by province. The farms in Karimama province are technically and economically more profitable (NOI = $ 2,950). In terms of profitability, the provinces of N'Dali, Kouande and Gogounou succeed the province of Karimama. The technical and economic efficiency rate is 51%. The technical yield of around 50% of farms is between 0 and 0.50. The technical efficiency of about 28% of farms is between 0.76 and 1. Factors affecting this activity were examined with the Tobit regression model. Parameters such as the age of the producer, the number of years of experience, the size of the household, the use of outside labor, the amount of credit and the use of inputs (quantities of seeds and fertilizers) affect the technical and economic efficiency of rice production. Rice producers face challenges related to access to agricultural credit, climate change and access to adequate agricultural equipment.