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Economic efficiency in farm households: trends, explanatory factors, and estimation methods

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  • Kent Olson
  • Linh Vu

Abstract

Factors explaining differences in economic efficiency between farms are of major interest to owners, managers, and other stakeholders as they strive to improve earnings and improve the chances of firm survival. This study is undertaken to improve our understanding of interfarm differences in, and opportunities to improve, farm household efficiency in utilizing their land, labor, and capital resources to achieve household objectives. The technical, allocative, and scale efficiencies of farm households are estimated using a nonparametric, output‐based data envelopment analysis (DEA) of a panel data set from 1993 to 2006. Single and double bootstrapping procedures are used to estimate technical efficiency. Initial technical efficiency assuming variable returns to scale (TEV) is estimated to be 0.83. Using single bootstrapping, the average bias‐corrected TEV estimate is 0.70; using double bootstrapping, the TEV estimate is 0.72. Allocative efficiency is estimated to be 0.81. Scale efficiency is estimated to be 0.93. The only factor that is consistently associated with higher technical efficiency across analysis methods and years is larger farm size (as measured by the log of farm income). The significance of other factors changes with analysis methods.

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  • Kent Olson & Linh Vu, 2009. "Economic efficiency in farm households: trends, explanatory factors, and estimation methods," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 40(5), pages 587-599, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:agecon:v:40:y:2009:i:5:p:587-599
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-0862.2009.00400.x
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    2. Na Liao & Xinchen Gu & Yuejian Wang & Hailiang Xu & Zili Fan, 2020. "Analyzing Macro-Level Ecological Change and Micro-Level Farmer Behavior in Manas River Basin, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Jirgi, A. J. & Nmadu, J. N. & Jordaan, H. & Gróve, B. & Viljoen, M. F., 2018. "Cost Efficiency of Sorghum/Cowpea Intercropping System in Kebbi State, Nigeria," Nigerian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Nigerian Journal of Agricultural Economics, vol. 8(1), October.
    4. Manevska-Tasevska, Gordana & Hansson, Helena, 2010. "Influence of rural development policy targets on farm efficiency: An efficiency study of labour intensive grape growing family farms," IAMO Forum 2010: Institutions in Transition – Challenges for New Modes of Governance 52696, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO).
    5. Effendy & M Fardhal Pratama & Rustam Abdul Rauf & Made Antara & Muhammad Basir-Cyio & Mahfudz & Muhardi, 2019. "Factors influencing the efficiency of cocoa farms: A study to increase income in rural Indonesia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(4), pages 1-15, April.
    6. Mugera, Amin W. & Langemeier, Michael R., 2011. "Does Farm Size and Specialization Matter for Productive Efficiency? Results from Kansas," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 43(4), pages 515-528, November.
    7. Moran, Valerie & Jacobs, Rowena, 2013. "An international comparison of efficiency of inpatient mental health care systems," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(1), pages 88-99.
    8. Lucyna BŁAŻEJCZYK-MAJKA & Radosław KALA, 2015. "On the combined estimation of technical efficiency and its application to agriculture," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 61(10), pages 441-449.
    9. Stephanie McWhinnie & Kofi Otumawu-Apreku, 2013. "The Role of Fixed Cost and Non-Discretionary Variables in Fisheries: A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation," School of Economics and Public Policy Working Papers 2013-14, University of Adelaide, School of Economics and Public Policy.
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    11. da Silva e Souza, Geraldo & Gomes, Eliane Gonçalves, 2023. "Assessing the influence of external factors on agricultural production in Brazil," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    12. Boyer, Christopher N. & Yu, T. Edward & Rhinehart, Justin & Ahles, Amelia & Gill, Mackenzie, 2020. "Does the Tennessee Master Beef Producer Program Impact Technical Efficiency," Western Economics Forum, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 18(2), December.
    13. María Pérez Urdiales & Alfons Oude Lansink & Alan Wall, 2016. "Eco-efficiency Among Dairy Farmers: The Importance of Socio-economic Characteristics and Farmer Attitudes," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 64(4), pages 559-574, August.
    14. Steele C. West & Amin W. Mugera & Ross S. Kingwell, 2024. "The impact of repayment obligations arising as a by‐product of input use on partial inefficiency: Evidence from Western Australian farm businesses," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 68(3), pages 678-700, July.
    15. Ali D. Cagdas & Scott R. Jeffrey & Elwin G. Smith & Peter C. Boxall, 2016. "Environmental Stewardship and Technical Efficiency in Canadian Prairie Canola Production," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 64(3), pages 455-477, September.

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