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Abstract
This paper uses the concept of Meta-frontier to investigate
the relationship between Meta Technology Ratios (MTR)
and different varieties in datepalms including; Mazafati, Rabi
and Zardan that are produced widely in Sistan and Baluchestan
province of Iran. We used a stratified sampling of 300 date
farmers of this province in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and estimated
a stochastic production frontier using pooled data. Then,
stochastic production frontiers were estimated for each variety,
separately. At the end, the meta-frontier parameters were
obtained to estimate the Meta technology ratio. Results showed
that the estimated mean values of technical efficiency for the
pooled frontier, variety group frontiers and Meta frontier across
all data were 0.558, 0.543 and 0.0014, respectively. The value
of Meta technology ratio was 0.407 for Mazafati variety, 0.432
and 0.507 for Rabi and Zardan varieties respectively. Mazafati
had the lowest MTR while, Zardan and Rabi varieties are
more closed together. Surprisingly, Mazafati had the lowest
technical efficiency with respect to group frontier and Metafrontier.
The estimated average technical efficiencies with
respect to group frontiers for Mazafati, Zardan and Rabi are:
0.518, 0.520 and 0.592, respectively; while Mazafati is kind of
date which is the most exported variety.