Technical and Economic Efficiency of Rice Production on the Irrigated Plain of Bagre (Burkina Faso): A Stochastic Frontier Approach

This paper examines the level of technical efficiency, allocative efficiency and economic efficiency of rice farmers on the irrigated plain of Bagré to assess the potential for increasing rice production. The computer program Frontier version 4.1 was used to estimate a stochastic frontier production function and his dual (cost frontier function) from which we derived the efficiency levels of farmers. Determinant efficiencies were estimated simultaneously with the frontier functions. The data used for analysis were obtained from 170 rice producers selected randomly from the irrigated area of Bagré. The results indicate that technical, allocative and economic efficiency  of producers are respectively  80%, 93% and 74% on average. Moreover, it is clear that economic efficiency could be improved if the mineral fertilizer, improved seed and capital are properly used by rice farmers. Keywords: technical efficiency, allocative efficiency, economic efficiency, production frontier, cost frontier function, Burkina Fas

Determinants of the Technical Efficiency of Maize Farmers in Burkina Faso

La présente étude  analyse les déterminants de l’efficacité technique des producteurs de maïs au Burkina Faso. La frontière stochastique de la fonction de production Translog  a été utilisée à partir de données en coupe instantanée  de 275 producteurs.  Les résultats montrent que les producteurs de maïs ont un score d’efficacité technique moyen de 0,83. Ce qui signifie que les exploitants de maïs produisent à 83% de leur capacité productive, et peuvent ainsi atteindre le niveau de leur production potentielle en accroissant leur efficacité technique de 17% sans utilisation supplémentaire de facteurs de production. L’âge de l’exploitant, le sexe, la taille du ménage, l’utilisation de semences améliorées de maïs, et de la fumure organique ont été identifiés comme facteurs explicatifs de l’efficacité technique des producteurs de maïs dans la zone d’étude. En conséquence, toute politique d’amélioration des niveaux d’efficacité technique  des producteurs de maïs au  Burkina Faso doit nécessairement s’appuyer sur ces variables. Mots clés: efficacité technique, fonction stochastique, fonction translog, maïs, Burkina Faso Abstract This study aims to analyze the determinants of the technical efficiency of maize farmers in Burkina Faso. The stochastic frontier of the translog production function was used from cross-sectionnal data of 275 farmers. The results show that maize farmers have a score of technical efficiency average of 0.85. This means that maize farmers produce 83% of their production capacity, and can reach the level of their potential production by increasing their technical efficiency of 17% without additional use of production factors. The age of the farmer, the gender, the size of the household, the use of improved maize seeds and organic fertilizers have been identified as factors explaining the technical efficiency of these maize farmers in the area of study. Consequently, any policy aiming to improve the technical efficiency of maize farmers in Burkina should be based on these variables. Keywords: technical efficiency, stochastic frontier function, translog function, maize, Burkina Faso DOI: 10.7176/JESD/10-14-05 Publication date:July 31st 2019

ADOPTION OF WATER AND SOIL CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES: DETERMINANT FACTORS IN THE CENTRAL PLATEAU OF BURKINA FASO

ABSTRACT In Burkina Faso, agricultural productio

Farmers’ storage practices and nutritional quality of fodder from dual-purpose cowpea and sorghum crops

The study aim was to analyze the effect of storage practices for cultivated forages on their nutritional qualities. Post-harvest fodder storage practices for cowpea var. KVX 745-11p and sorghum var. Grinkan were observed at 44 farms. Samples of green fodder and fodder stored under different conditions after drying were analyzed in laboratory to determine chemical composition parameters using near infrared spectrometry. The results showed that the most common storage is exposure in sheds (34% of farmers). The sensory assessment of the forage showed that sheltered premises help to maintain a relatively very good (52%) to good (40%) quality of stored forage. In unsheltered premises, stored fodder is essentially of good (68%) to fair (26%) quality. The quality of fodder stored in unsheltered premises deteriorates with a significant reduction in crude protein content. This content varies significantly from 20% for green fodder to 16% in sheltered premises, then to 15% in unsheltered premises for cowpea, and for sorghum from 7.9% to 6.6% and then to 4.5%. West African livestock farmers need to adopt better storage practices for cultivated fodder and crop residues to preserve their nutritional value. Keywords: Fodder, Dual-purpose crop, Storage practices, Nutritional value, Sub-Saharan Afric

Clinical case: giant solitary neurofibroma of the thigh

The solitary neurofibroma, a benign ectodermal tumor reaching the nerve sheaths, is very rare both in its frequency and its location. Its diagnosis is histo-immunological and its treatment, surgical, consists of a complete resection of the mass due to a degenerative risk tumor. The authors report the case of a 36-year-old patient, admitted for a large tumor of the anterior aspect of the right thigh. Ultrasound and CT revealed the presence of a soft tissue tumor measuring 28 x 15 cm. The resection was performed without damage to the adjacent noble elements. The tumor weighed 7 kg. The histology found a neurofibroma. Benign tumors of the nerve sheath are rare. The neurofibroma is a benign tumor, which can occur in two forms: solitary in young adults or multiple in the context of a Recklinghausen disease. The majority of cases of giant neurofibromatous tumors reported, were almost always isolated localization. TDM or echo-guided biopsy is the only way to confirm preoperative histological diagnosis. The treatment is surgical. However, the tumor infiltrates the fasciculi of the nerve along its course, which could make its resection difficult and dangerous. Thigh localization of the neurofibroma is rare. Complete excision with negative margins is the treatment of choice. In the case reported, one year after surgery, the patient was in good general condition with normal locomotor function

Effet de l’amélioration du pâturage naturel par l’introduction de Chamaecrista rotundifolia sur les propriétés chimiques du sol, la structure du pâturage, la production de biomasse et le stock semencier du sol

Land degradation is evident in arid ecosystems already weakened by climate variability. The natural rangelands that provide the bulk of livestock feed are no exception to this situation. Exploring strategies to improve the productivity of these natural rangelands is a palliative solution for livestock feeding. The overall objective of this study is to improve forage production by introducing a forage legume, Chamaecrista rotundifolia. Two experiments were carried out, one on a ferruginous soil and the other on a ferralitic soil. Two seeding densities of C. rotundifolia seeds were used. Fertilization of 100 kg/ha of triple superphosphate (46% P) was chosen for the plots. The results indicated that soil type, weeding at sowing and sowing density of the legume had significant effects on the number of C. rotundifolia plants/m² in the natural pasture three years after its introduction. The control treatments did not have seeds of C. rotundifolia in the two soil horizons surveyed (H0-10 cm and H 10-20 cm). The production of C. rotundifolia biomass was higher in august compared to the evaluation in july with an average production of 1811 kg DM/ha against a maximum of 1070 kg DM/ha in the month of july. The results of the biomass analysis showed a higher nitrogen content in C. rotundifolia compared to the other species on the same soils, which denotes the ability of C. rotundifolia to fix atmospheric nitrogen. Keywords: Fodder, Natural pastures, Restoration, Seed stock, Chamaecrista rotundifoliaLa dégradation des terres est une évidence dans les écosystèmes arides déjà fragilisés par la variabilité climatique. Les parcours naturels qui assurent l’essentiel de l’alimentation du bétail n’échappent pas à cette situation. Explorer des stratégies d’amélioration de la productivité de ces parcours naturels est une solution palliative à la résolution de l’alimentation du bétail. Cette étude a pour objectif global d’améliorer la production fourragère par l’introduction d’une légumineuse fourragère, Chamaecrista rotundifolia. Pour ce faire, deux dispositifs expérimentaux ont été installés, l'un sur un sol ferrugineux et l’autre sur un sol ferralitique. Deux densités de semis C. rotundifolia ont été utilisées. La fertilisation de 100 kg/ha de triple superphosphate (46% P) a été retenue pour les parcelles concernées. Les résultats indiquent que le type de sol, le désherbage au semis et la densité de semis de la légumineuse ont eu des effets significatifs sur le nombre de pieds de C. rotundifolia /m² dans le pâturage naturel trois ans après son introduction. Les traitements témoins ne comportent pas de semences de C. rotundifolia dans les deux horizons du sol prospectés (H0-10 cm et H 10-20 cm). La production de biomasse C. rotundifolia, a été plus élevée au mois d’août comparativement à l’évaluation au mois de juillet avec une production moyenne de 1811 kg MS/ha contre un maximum de 1070 kg MS/ha dans le mois de juillet. Les résultats de l’analyse de la biomasse montrent une teneur plus élevée en azote chez C. rotundifolia par rapport aux autres espèces et ce sur les mêmes sols, ce qui dénote de la capacité de C. rotundifolia à fixer l’azote atmosphérique. Mots-clés: Fourrage, Pâturages naturels, Restauration, Stock semencier, Chamaecrista rotundifoli

Effet de l’amélioration du pâturage naturel par l’introduction de Chamaecrista rotundifolia sur les propriétés chimiques du sol, la structure du pâturage, la production de biomasse et le stock semencier du sol

La dégradation des terres est une évidence dans les écosystèmes arides déjà fragilisés par la variabilité climatique. Les parcours naturels qui assurent l’essentiel de l’alimentation du bétail n’échappent pas à cette situation. Explorer des stratégies d’amélioration de la productivité de ces parcours naturels est une solution palliative à la résolution de l’alimentation du bétail. Cette étude a pour objectif global d’améliorer la production fourragère par l’introduction d’une légumineuse fourragère, Chamaecrista rotundifolia. Pour ce faire, deux dispositifs expérimentaux ont été installés, l'un sur un sol ferrugineux et l’autre sur un sol ferralitique. Deux densités de semis C. rotundifolia ont été utilisées. La fertilisation de 100 kg/ha de triple superphosphate (46% P) a été retenue pour les parcelles concernées. Les résultats indiquent que le type de sol, le désherbage au semis et la densité de semis de la légumineuse ont eu des effets significatifs sur le nombre de pieds de C. rotundifolia /m² dans le pâturage naturel trois ans après son introduction. Les traitements témoins ne comportent pas de semences de C. rotundifolia dans les deux horizons du sol prospectés (H0-10 cm et H 10-20 cm). La production de biomasse C. rotundifolia, a été plus élevée au mois d’août comparativement à l’évaluation au mois de juillet avec une production moyenne de 1811 kg MS/ha contre un maximum de 1070 kg MS/ha dans le mois de juillet. Les résultats de l’analyse de la biomasse montrent une teneur plus élevée en azote chez C. rotundifolia par rapport aux autres espèces et ce sur les mêmes sols, ce qui dénote de la capacité de C. rotundifolia à fixer l’azote atmosphérique. Mots-clés: Fourrage, Pâturages naturels, Restauration, Stock semencier, Chamaecrista rotundifoli

Sahel terrorist crisis and development priorities: case of financial allocations for the control of non-communicable diseases in Burkina Faso

In Africa, nearly 46% of all mortality will be attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 2030. While the cost of inaction far exceeds the cost of action against NCDs, global funding for the prevention and control of NCDs is minimal. The objective of this was to explore the Ministry of Health budget allocations for NCDs from 2010 to 2020 as well as the effect of the terrorism crisis on these allocations. The methodology was based on the budget tracking tool developed by the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement. Twenty-nine budget lines related to the prevention and/or control of NCDs have been identified. About 29.9 million USD were allocated to the fight against NCDs with an absorption rate of more than 98%.There is an upward trend of allocated budget characterized by an exponential increase from the development of the national integrated strategic plan for the fight against NCDs (2016–2020). In 2017, an increase of 184% compared to 2016 was observed. However, the efforts were challenged by the emergence of the terrorist threat which triggered in January 2016, leading to a drastic reduction in allocations for NCDs in favor likely of defense and security priorities as well as addressing the needs of internally displaced persons. A trend analysis suggests that the NCDs budget significantly decrease as the country global terrorist index increase. Further analysis is needed to better understand the implication on NCD incidence, and identify advocacy opportunities for mitigating the negative impact of the terrorist treat on NCDs and other development issues

Vegetation improvement and soil biological quality in the Sahel of Burkina Faso

Soil living environment contains macro-fauna that play important role in the soil structure and chemical composition, the degradation process of organic matter and in the resilience of ecosystems. Few studies evaluated the impact of the “re-greening” trend observed in the Sahel on soil biological quality. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of the “re-greening” of the Sahel on soil macro-fauna population and diversity. The method of Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility (TSBF) was used to assess macro-fauna abundance and diversity in different land use types (cropland, shallow land, degraded land and forest). Four sites were selected, in the Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso, with contrasted Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). In each site, four repetitions were taken for each land use type. In total, 64 plots samples were used to assess the abundance of macro-fauna. Results showed that there were more individuals (64.92%) and higher macro-fauna density in re-greening zones compared to the degrading zones. There was dominance of Arthropoda phylum (60.85%), Insecta class (59.03%) and Isoptera order (46.97%) in macro-fauna population. There were more species in the shallow land and cropland in re-greening zones and all trophic groups are represented in all sites. Despite this abundance, composition and diversity, it was observed that the re-greening processes have not significantly improved soil biological quality. It is concluded that vegetation improvement might be at the beginning stage in the Sahel, especially in croplands, and clear change of soil biological quality is not perceptible but may be tangible in the future.Keywords: Macro-fauna, ecosystem, soil quality, re-greening, degradation