Migrant labor and farm technical efficiency in Lesotho

The rural economy of Lesotho is characterized by dependence on circular labor migration to South African mines and declining agricultural output per capita. This paper attempts to improve the understanding of the relationship between circular labor migration and agricultural production by comparing the technical efficiency of farms that supply migrant laborers with that of farms that do not. Through analysis of the relative technical efficiency of these two farm categories conclusions are drawn concerning the likely impact of changing migration patterns on the agricultural sector. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.