Análise da produtividade do factor terra na produção do arroz em Moçambique

Abstract

This study seeks to analyze the determinants of land productivity in rice production in Mozambique. To achieve the objectives of this study, an econometric method based on multiple regression analysis was used. The estimation of the land productivity model for rice production, using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method, uses cross-sectional data extracted from the 2023 Integrated Agricultural Survey (IAI), covering 4,092 households engaged in rice cultivation during the 2022/2023 agricultural season. This model includes twelve explanatory variables, among which two stand out as the most important: the amount of land used by the household and the amount of labor used in each agricultural plot.

The results of this study indicate that the average land productivity in rice production in Mozambique is about 0.4 tons/ha, which is very low compared to Tanzania (8.5 tons/ha), China (7.1 tons/ha), or Egypt (8.7 tons/ha). However, productivity varies widely across provinces. The Southern region shows the highest productivity in the country (0.6 tons/ha), while Zambezia province has the highest national production level, accounting for about 40% of total national output.

The results of the land productivity model for rice production further show that productivity is significantly influenced by land, labor, the gender and age of the household head, intercropping practices, crop rotation, the use of improved seeds and fertilizers, as well as crop losses before harvest. These findings imply that public investment policies aimed at improving the use of fertilizers and improved seeds, and reducing pre-harvest losses, can contribute positively to increasing land productivity in rice production in Mozambique. (tradução nossa)