{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44978"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44978","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Pinpointing production constraints faced by female-headed households in rural Malawi","abstract":"In this study, an econometric model for testing whether female-headed households face unique constraints to maize production in Malawi is presented. A simulation is performed on the first-order equations of smallholder maize production functions and predicted marginal products are tested against observed input-output price ratios to detect input constraints and allocative inefficiency. Technical efficiency is also compared among headship gender categories. Results indicate that de jure female-headed households are less technically efficient than de facto female- and male-headed households. However, no evidence is found indicating that gender-specific input constraints exist. This study finds surplus labor present throughout Malawi’s smallholder sector and discusses policy alternatives in the context of poverty alleviation.","abstract_html":"In this study, an econometric model for testing whether female-headed households face unique constraints to maize production in Malawi is presented. A simulation is performed on the first-order equations of smallholder maize production functions and predicted marginal products are tested against observed input-output price ratios to detect input constraints and allocative inefficiency. Technical efficiency is also compared among headship gender categories. Results indicate that de jure female-headed households are less technically efficient than de facto female- and male-headed households. However, no evidence is found indicating that gender-specific input constraints exist. This study finds surplus labor present throughout Malawi’s smallholder sector and discusses policy alternatives in the context of poverty alleviation.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Russ, Katheryn Niles"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Agricultural and Applied Economics","degree_department":"Agricultural and Applied Economics","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1996,"date_issued":"1996","date_published":"1996","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:12Z","subjects":["Malawi","agriculture","constraints","Women","maize"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-10022008-063206"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-10022008-063206","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44978","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Agricultural and Applied Economics"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Russ, Katheryn Niles"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T21:46:44Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T21:46:44Z","2008-10-02"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1996"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Agricultural and Applied Economics"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Malawi","agriculture","constraints","Women","maize"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-10022008-063206"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44978"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In this study, an econometric model for testing whether female-headed households face unique constraints to maize production in Malawi is presented. A simulation is performed on the first-order equations of smallholder maize production functions and predicted marginal products are tested against observed input-output price ratios to detect input constraints and allocative inefficiency. Technical efficiency is also compared among headship gender categories. Results indicate that de jure female-headed households are less technically efficient than de facto female- and male-headed households. However, no evidence is found indicating that gender-specific input constraints exist. This study finds surplus labor present throughout Malawi’s smallholder sector and discusses policy alternatives in the context of poverty alleviation."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["BTD"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Pinpointing production constraints faced by female-headed households in rural Malawi"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.department":["Agricultural and Applied Economics"],"dc:creator":["Russ, Katheryn Niles"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T21:46:44Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T21:46:44Z","2008-10-02"],"dc:date.issued":["1996"],"dc:description.abstract":["In this study, an econometric model for testing whether female-headed households face unique constraints to maize production in Malawi is presented. A simulation is performed on the first-order equations of smallholder maize production functions and predicted marginal products are tested against observed input-output price ratios to detect input constraints and allocative inefficiency. Technical efficiency is also compared among headship gender categories. Results indicate that de jure female-headed households are less technically efficient than de facto female- and male-headed households. However, no evidence is found indicating that gender-specific input constraints exist. This study finds surplus labor present throughout Malawi’s smallholder sector and discusses policy alternatives in the context of poverty alleviation."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["BTD"],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-10022008-063206"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44978"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Malawi","agriculture","constraints","Women","maize"],"dc:title":["Pinpointing production constraints faced by female-headed households in rural Malawi"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Agricultural and Applied Economics"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:12Z"}