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Abstract
This paper investigates farm level technical efficiency of production and its determinants in a
sample of 51 cereal producing farms in Tunisia that focus on wheat production. The
empirical findings show that the labor input factor has a minimal effect on production. In
addition, the technical efficiency of wheat production in the sample varied widely, ranging
from 52.63 to 94.62%, with a mean value of 77%. This suggests that, on average, wheat
producing farmers could increase their production by as much as 23% through more efficient
use of production inputs. The results of Timmer and Kopp indexes of technical inefficiency
show that the level of inefficiency was related to farm size: small and large farms were shown
to be more technically efficient than medium-sized farms. Alternatively, inputs could be
reduced by 17% on average to produce the same quantity of wheat output. These results call
for policies aimed at providing training programs and extension services and improving input
management by wheat farmers.