Abstract

The study examined empirically the technical efficiency of Irish potato producer of Dedza district using cross section data from 200 farmers. Translog stochastic production frontier model was used to predict farm level technical efficiency using Maximum Likelihood Method. The study found that individual farm level technical efficiency was about 83%. The result show that non-farm employment, education, farm experience, degree of specialization and weeding to are positively related to technical efficiency and significant at 1%. Age and household size were negatively related to technical efficiency and significant at 5 and 10%, respectively. There was no significant relationship between technical efficiency and extension visits and credit access.

Key words: Irish potato production, technical efficiency and Translog production frontier function.