Determination of optimal levels of Resource Use in Clonal Robusta Coffee Production in Central Uganda

Abstract

In spite of the current decline in World Market Prices, coffee remains Uganda's major export crop. However, coffee yield in Uganda remains sub optimal. One of the contributing factors could be an imbalance in the use of the factors of production. Optimal combinations of factors of production for clonal coffee production in Uganda are not known. This study is an attempt to fill this gap.



Data was obtained from two districts in Uganda using a structured questionnaire. Respondents were disaggregated into two categories of rich and poor farmers. A Cobb-Douglas type of production function was fitted to data for each farmer category. The desired elasticities of response indicated that land and capital were the most limiting factors in clonal coffee production for poor farmers. Land and labour were identified as the most limiting factors for rich clonal coffee farmers. Overall, land and labour were found to be most limiting.



Key words: clonal coffee farmers, optimal levels, sub optimal levels resource use, productivity, elasticities, marginal productivity, value marginal productivity





Eastern Africa Journal of Rural Development (2001) 17, 1-8