Files

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.

Details

PDF

Statistics

from
to
Export
Download Full History