Adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices and their influence on the technical efficiency of maize production under extreme weather events

Abstract

Malawi experiences frequent and intense extreme weather events that affect rain-fed household maize production. Thus, households have adopted various climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices to cushion maize production from the adverse effects of extreme weather events, particularly drought episodes. This study examines the drivers of CSA practices' adoption and their influence on the technical efficiency of maize production among drought-affected households. Based on a conditional logit model, the study finds drought episodes substantively enhancing the adoption of organic manure by 76% and soil and water conservation by 29%. The Cobb-Douglas Stochastic Frontier Analysis reveals that households are 63% technically efficient, implying that they can increase current maize production by 37%. A two-stage Tobit model further shows that concurrent adopting organic manure and inorganic fertilizers in the same farm significantly improves maize production's technical efficiency by 18% and is more noticeable among drought-affected households. This study, therefore, advocates for simultaneous adoption of organic and inorganic fertilizers to enhance the effect of CSA practices on the technical efficiency of maize production under intensifying drought episodes. Besides, the study recommends championing gender-targeting extension services to augment the benefits of CSA practices among female farmers. Ultimately, the study results contribute to the existing literature on improving agricultural productivity under varying weather conditions.