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Abstract
Beans are the most important relish crop in the farming systems of Serenje District in
Central Province, Zambia. Both leaves and dried beans are major food sources for home
consumption, and dried beans have a commercial value in the system. Given this dual role,
increasing bean yields would improve family nutrition as well as economic returns to capital
and labor invested. However, low levels of production have been recorded over the years
due to the use of local bean varieties, low fertility, and inadequate pest control. As a result,
on-farm research on beans was carried out for four years to identify bean varieties and
management strategies that would result in higher yields and economic returns.
In this paper, the results of the four years on-farm research were analyzed using
stochastic dominance efficiency criteria in order to determine the most risk-efficient
production management strategies. The result indicated that the Brazilian bean variety
Carioca, when used in combination with fertilizer and insecticide, performed best for the
traditional and small-scale farmers in Serenje District who are usually highly averse to risk.