District-level total factor productivity in agriculture: Western Cape Province, South Africa, 1952–2002 |
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| Authors: | Beatrice Conradie Jenifer Piesse Colin Thirtle |
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| Institution: | School of Business and Social Sciences, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (Saasveld), Private Bag X6531, George 6530, South Africa;School of Social Science and Public Policy, King's College London, 150 Stamford Road, London SE1 9HN, United Kingdom, and University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa;Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, 323 Mechanical Engineering Building, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom, and University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa |
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| Abstract: | This article measures total factor productivity (TFP) growth in Western Cape agriculture for 31 magisterial districts from 1952 to 2002 to illustrate the benefits of disaggregation compared with national TFPs. There is negative or low growth in the eastern districts and rapid growth in the western districts. The regions with substantial chicken, pigs, dairy, and, especially, export fruit production grew rapidly, whereas the sheep-dominated Karoo had negative growth. Productivity growth correlates mostly with output mix, which in turn depends on irrigation investment. A similar program will be needed at the national level if prosperity is to be extended to black smallholders who currently lack access to water and other modern infrastructure. |
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| Keywords: | O13 O47 |
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