Author : Ho Ngoc Ninh

Summary : Using panel data from 221 sample rice farmer in An Giang Province, Mekong River Delta , Vietnam, a comparison of means (t-test) and regression-based strategies along with propensity score matching (PSM) method were employed to assess the impact of ecologically based rodent management (EBRM) technology and its components on rice yield and net income of the rice farmer-beneficiaries of this technology. Among the estimation methods used, fixed effects with the PSM method were found to be the most appropriate approach to evaluate the farm-level economic impact of the EBRM technology and its components on technical, allocative, and economic efficiency of rice farmers in the Mekong River Delta for the period 2006-2009 using stochastic frontier analysis with the PSM method. Results showed that the adoption of the EBRM technology and its components had a significant and positive impact on rice yield, real net income, technical, allocative, and economic efficiency. The contributions of the EBRM technology to incremental paddy yield, real net income, technical, allocative and economic efficiency were approximately 0.58 - 0.60 ton/ha, VND 1.50-1.57 million/ha, 10.5 percent, 0.7 percent and 10.1 percent, respectively. Moreover, the mean effects of the community action (CA) component on paddy yield, real net income, technical, allocative and economic efficiency of the beneficiaries were approximately 0.43-0.45ton/ha. VND 1.16-1.19 million/ha, 8.9 percent, 0.5 percent, and 8.9 percent, respectively. The study also found that the community trap barrier system plus community action (CTBS) component had significantly contribution to the increases in paddy yield, real net income, technical, allocative and economic efficiency of the farmer-beneficiaries by approximately 0.70-0.72 ton/ha, VND 1.77-1.80 million/ha, 12.3 percent, 0.7 percent, and 11.7 percent, respectively. These findings implied that the adoption of the EBRM technology and its components may have partly contributed to food security and household income of rice farmers in these communities.