Analysis of the profit efficiency and profitability of corn production in Burkina Faso: example of hauts-bassins

This thesis aims to analyze the profitability and economic efficiency of maize production in the Hauts-Bassins region. The survey was conducted in 26 selected villages. A total of 262 corn growers were selected using simple random sampling in four homogeneous groups: production system, land tenure, farm size, and provinces. Descriptive statistics and the stochastic profit frontier method were used for data analysis. The results of the study indicate that maize production is not profitable for all categories of producers. Farm holdings of 0.1-1 ha, unsecured tenure; draft animal and manual used production systems, and Kenedougou province producers are not profitable. While, those machinezed (profitability = 28%), with land titles (19 %), the province of Tuy (3 %) and large size (77 %) are the most profitable of their group. The estimated average profit efficiency of maize farmers is 0.86 and varies between 0.1 and 0.97. There is then a potential to increase maize growers' profits with available resources by increasing their profit efficiency. Results on the effects of inefficiency indicate that years of education and experience, secure tenure, fertilizer quality are negatively related to profit inefficiency. On the other hand, it is positively related to insect hazards, drought, irregular rainfall and the age of producers over 50 years old. Separate estimates of profit inefficiencies indicate that large farms, machinary systems, land title producers and Tuy are economically the most efficient in their group. Therefore, policies aimed at agricultural mechanization, land tenure security, expansion of farm size, establishment of irrigation system, improvement of human capital and access to inputs, combat some natural disasters are needed to improve the efficiency of maize farmers. KEYWORDS: Maize production, Production system, Land tenure, Production cost, Productivity, Profitability, Profit efficiency, Burkina Faso.