Agricultural Productivity

The indicator measures the ratio of agricultural outputs (e.g. tons of crops or number of animals) to the invested inputs (primarily money but also labor or water). Increasing agricultural productivity is essential for ensuring adequate nutrition of the ever-growing population; however, such changes should not be at the expense of environmental sustainability.

Determine the indicator's value by using the following methodology:

1) Select the crop type (or specific variety) or animal breed productivity of which you want to assess. 

2) Decide on the type of input you will measure and how. The main input is usually money (invested in improved seeds, fertilizers, pest protection measures, and other inputs specific to the given crop/animal – do not include general “operational” costs of the farm). Inputs such as invested labor or water for irrigation might be equally important; however, you need to decide what the measurement “units” will be (e.g. number of days spent working on the field). The investment can be measured either by using:

  > the recall approach – conducting individual interviews with farmers, asking them about the amount of invested inputs

  > the diary approach – providing farmers before the start of the season with simple Record Sheets and asking them to record the invested inputs

3) Assess the agricultural outputs of a representative sample of farmers by following the guidance in the Reported Agricultural Output indicator (pay attention to the Important Comments section).

4) Assess the invested inputs by using one of the two recommended approaches.

5) To calculate the indicator's value (i.e. the ratio of outputs vs. inputs) of each farmer’s produce, divide the agricultural output by the invested inputs. Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage.

6) During the endline survey, replicate the entire process with the exact same group of respondents.  Keep in mind that the baseline sample must be up to 20% bigger than required, so that even if some farmers are not available during the endline, the “endline sample” still remains representative of your target population.

1) The two most common inputs are money and labour. While some crop production practices can decrease the financial investments, they can also consume more time. Therefore, always assess both of these inputs and consider them carefully when making conclusions about changes in farmers’ agricultural productivity.