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Abstract
The study has analysed the technical efficiency in wheat production across different regions of the Punjab
state. It is based on the cross sectional data collected from a random sample of 564 farm households
comprising 58, 318, and 188 households from semi-hilly, central and south-western regions for the year
2005-06. The mean technical efficiency of wheat production has been found as 87 per cent, 94 per cent, 86
per cent and 87 per cent in semi-hilly, central, south-western and Punjab state as a whole, respectively. The
results signify that farmers of the central region do not have much scope to increase productivity of wheat
through technical efficiency improvement under the existing conditions of input-use and technology. In
the semi-hilly and south-western regions, the yield of wheat can be improved to the extent of 13 per cent
and 15 per cent, respectively through adoption of better practices of technology. Across different regions,
wheat area has contributed positively and significantly, the coefficient being highest and only significant
variable for the central region. The coefficient of expenditure on insecticides and pesticides has been
found significant for the semi-hilly region, demanding boost in the expenditure on insecticides and pesticides
to increase wheat production in this region. The coefficient of fertilizer nutrients has been observed
positive and significant for the semi-hilly and south-western regions, indicating that there is scope for
increasing production of wheat by enhancing the use of fertilizers in these regions. Further, the technical
efficiencies are positively and significantly related to age, education and experience of a farmer and
percentage area under the crop.