Applying linear regression to study the relationship between the production of higher-yielding crops and sales in agro-pastoral communities in central southern angola

Abstract

Linear regression can be a tool to support investment decisions in agricultural farming, especially those with higher economic and financial yield. However, its complexity suggests that it is within the reach of technicians who work in institutions that support agricultural development, applying it to the identification of factors that influence production and marketing, depending on its relationship with the results. This paper aims to analyze, mathematically, the behavior of the sales of agricultural products according to the different farming activities practiced by the agro-pastoral communities of south-central of Angola, namely, cereals, legumes, food tubers, vegetables and fruit trees. It was assumed that the production of the mentioned crops had no significant influence on the sales volume in the 2016-2017 season. This is an empirical study carried out by applying a questionnaire survey to 88 households, carefully identified in eight communes in the provinces of Benguela and Cunene. The data were analyzed using simple and multiple linear regression and the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method. The study carried out shows that if there is no production of cereals, legumes, tubers, vegetables and fruits, the sales volume will be negative. In conclusion, in the 2016-2017 season, the production of the crops in question had a significant influence on the volume of sales of agricultural products, with relevant contributions from tubers and vegetables.