We investigate the factors that affect total factor productivity growth in\nMENA countries. To this end, we start first by examining levels and trends in\nagricultural outputs and productivity growth using Torqnovist Indexes and\nthen computing Malmquist Indexes for three MENA countries representing\nthree different agro-ecological areas; irrigated (Egypt), rainfed (Tunisia) and\nrangeland (Jordan) over the period 1961-2012. We make use of data drawn\nfrom the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) dataset. The advantage of\nthis decomposition is that allows decomposing TFP into its two components,\nnamely technical efficiency (TEF) and technological change (TECH). The\nanalysis was complemented by econometric regression of the obtained TECH,\nconsidered as the most important long-run driver of TFP growth, scores on a\nset of potential explicative variables. Turning to the determinants of the\ncomponents of TECH, the paper findings showed that TFP can be increased\ndue to the increasing in human capital, share of the main crop harvested in\neach country, and resource reallocation-agricultural employment share. The\nmain implication policy of this research is that growth and determinants of\nTFP are essential for assessing the country past and potential economic performance,\nand the gains in TFP drive gains in income and growth.
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