Effect of adoption of ICT on technical efficiency of farms in Burkina Faso

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the effet of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) adoption on the technical efficiency of farms in Burkina Faso. Data were collected from 420 farmers in the central region, selected through simple random sampling across 47 villages. Descriptive statistics were computed, and a Stochastic Frontier Production model was applied to estimate farm technical efficiency. The estimation results indicate that, overall, input and labour costs are lower among ICT users (UTIC), compared to non-users (NUTIC) for similar agricultural outputs. Furthermore, the results reveal a significant difference in technical efficiency scores (0.049) between UTIC (0.338) and NUTIC (0.289), suggesting that ICT adoption positively influences farm technical efficiency. These findings highlight the need to promote ICT adoption among farmers, as their use reduces input and labour costs; while enhancing overall efficiency. Public policies should facilitate access to ICT in rural areas to support agricultural productivity and sustainability.