In Zimbabwe, cotton is an important cash crop that is ranked second after tobacco. It is essential because it helps rural smallholder farmers get income that enhances their welfare. Despite its importance, the cotton production sector in Zimbabwe is facing a challenge of low productivity. Several efforts have been done made by the government such as the current measure of giving cotton farmers inputs for free but still cotton production per hectare is very low compared to international levels. This study measures the level of technical efficiency and its determinants among smallholder cotton producers in Checheche. Multistage A multistage sampling technique was used and cross sectionalcross-sectional data of the 2020/2021 cropping season was used. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire. The research used the Data Envelopment Analysis method to measure the technical efficiency scores of smallholder cotton producers. The results revealed that the average level of technical efficiency among smallholder cotton producers is 54 percent. The results mean that the smallholder cotton producers are producing below their potential. Technical efficiency was found to be positively influenced by the level of education and use of pesticides. Land holdingLandholding negatively affects efficiency since managerial and supervisory inefficiency creep in as landholding increases. The study recommends that government and policy makerspolicymakers should facilitate free adult learning or farmer participation in demonstration projects that equips equip farmers with the knowledge and skills needed in cotton production. Secondly, the government should continue with its free input program scheme in cotton production so that farmers will get the adequate inputs needed so that they can produce more.

Keywords: Cotton, Data envelopment analysis, Technical efficiency, Tobit