Training, technology upgrading, and total factor productivity improvement of farms : a case of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) production in Dak Lak province, Vietnam

This study focused on analyzing the determinants of technology upgrading and productivity growth in cassava production of farms in Dak Lak province from 2015 to 2018. Using the Data Envelopment Analysis method (DEA) to obtain the Malmquist indices of the total factor productivity (TFPCH) and decomposing it into technical efficiency change (EFCH) and technological change (TECHCH), we found a general improvement in productivity of the farms. Meanwhile, general technology upgrading was observed, but the technical efficiency of the farms was reduced. From logistic regression analyses, it is shown that institutional factors such as technical training and accessibility to banks and economic factors such as capital stock of farms increase the probability of productivity growth in the farms. However, technical training is the only factor that significantly contributed to the likelihood of the technology upgrading of the farms. In particular, we did not find household characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, schooling, and experience in cassava production significantly impact the farms’ technology upgrading and productivity growth.