Smallholder farmers' efficiency has been measured by different scholars using different approaches. Both parametric and non-parametric approaches have been applied; each presenting unique results in some ways. The parametric approach uses econometric approaches to make assumptions about the error terms in the data generation process and also impose functional forms on the production functions. The nonparametric approaches neither impose any functional form nor make assumptions about the error terms. The bottom line of both approaches is to determine efficiency in production. In this study a parametric stochastic frontier approach is used to assess technical, allocative and economic efficiency from a sample of smallholder maize producers of Chongwe District, Zambia. This approach was chosen based on the fact that production among this group of farmers varies a great deal, and so the stochastic frontier attributes part of the variations to the random errors (which reflects measurement errors and statistical noise) and farm specific efficiency. Using a Cobb-Douglas frontier production function which exhibits self dual characteristics, technical efficiency scores for the sample of the smallholder maize producers are derived. With the parameter estimates(âi) obtained from the Cobb-Douglas stochastic production frontier, input prices (âi) and taking advantage of the self dual characteristics of the Cobb-Douglas, a cost function is derived. This forms the basis for calculating the farmers' allocative and economic efficiency. Results obtained from the study showed considerable technical, allocative and economic inefficiencies among smallholder maize producers. Technical Efficiency (TE) estimates range from 40.6 percent to 96.53 percent with a mean efficiency of 78.19 percent, while Allocative Efficiency (AE) estimates range from 33.57 to 92.14 percent with a mean of 61.81. The mean Economic Efficiency (EE) is 47.88 percent, with a minimum being 30 percent and a maximum of 79.26 percent. The results therefore indicate that inefficiency in maize production in Chongwe District is dominated by allocative and economic inefficiency. Additionally, in the two stage regression households characteristics: age; sex; education level; occupation; years in farming; land ownership; household size; access to extension and access to credit services; are regressed against technical efficiency scores using a logit function. Results obtained shows that land ownership, access to credit services, access to extension services, land ownership and education level of up to post primary (secondary and tertiary) have a positive influence on the households' technical efficiency. On the other hand, age of the household head; female headed household and lack of education (though not statistically significant at any confidence level) have a negative influence on this group of maize producers. In a similar two stage regression, access to extension services, membership to producer organisation, access to credit and disaster experienced on the farm such as floods, drought and hail, are regressed against AE. The result shows that access to extension services, access to credit services, membership to cooperatives and natural calamities affect AE. Results therefore show that there is a great deal of both allocative and economic inefficiency among smallholder maize farmers than there is technical inefficiency. To address these inefficiencies observed there is need to design policies that will ensure that environmental (e.g. poor land practices which lead to nutrient depletion from the soils), economic (e.g. high transport cost due to poor road infrastructure) and institutional issues (access to credit) are addressed. In other words, Government should help create credit facilities to provide affordable loans to this group of farmers. Additionally, there is need to improve extension systems to help educate farmers about better farming practices and other innovative technologies to further improve their efficiency in production. Issues of land ownership among this group of farmers needs to be addressed as this will not only raise confidence but will also ensure that their cost of production is reduced since there will be no need for payment of rental charges, and that farmers will adhere to good farming practices knowing they own title to land. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development / unrestricted

Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / Analyzes the technical efficiency and economic profitability of commercial dairy farmers from Ceara State. The stochastic frontier production methodology was used to estimate milk producersâ technical efficiency. As primary conclusion, the study observed a high rate of mean technical efficiency in the set of companies, about 80%, which points, however, to a relevant space to the unitiesâ efficiency growth, especially considering the efficiency rates dispersion. As it regards to the variables used to define the production frontier, all of them were statistically significant, and the expense with labor was the variable that presented the main contribution to the production growth. Among variables used to explain technical inefficiency, all resulted significant, and the genetic group of the herd was the one that presented the main participation at decreasing inefficiency. After the estimative of each companyâs efficiency, the present research analyzed the behavior of some technical indicators of productivity and economic profitability. It found that as the technical efficiency of the unities increased the indexes of productivity also improved, as well as a reduction of operational expenses and an elevation of profit margins. Finally, the research focused the important correlation between the efficiency level and the volume produced, suggesting a scale effect on milk production. / Analisa a eficiÃncia tÃcnica e a rentabilidade econÃmica dos produtores comerciais de leite do Estado do CearÃ. A metodologia de fronteiras estocÃsticas de produÃÃo foi utilizada para estimar a eficiÃncia tÃcnica dos produtores. Como principais conclusÃes, observou-se elevada taxa de eficiÃncia tÃcnica mÃdia para o conjunto das firmas, em torno de 80%, indicando, contudo, um espaÃo relevante para o crescimento da eficiÃncia das unidades, principalmente se for considerada a dispersÃo das taxas de eficiÃncia. Em relaÃÃo Ãs variÃveis utilizadas para definir a fronteira de produÃÃo, todas foram estatisticamente significativas, sendo a despesa com mÃo-de-obra aquela que apresentou maior contribuiÃÃo para o crescimento da produÃÃo, enquanto, das variÃveis utilizadas para explicar a ineficiÃncia tÃcnica, todas se mostraram significativas, sendo a composiÃÃo racial do rebanho aquela que apresentou maior participaÃÃo para a reduÃÃo da ineficiÃncia. ApÃs a estimativa da eficiÃncia de cada firma, estudou-se o comportamento de alguns indicadores tÃcnicos de produtividade e de rentabilidade econÃmica, percebeu-se que, Ã medida que crescia a eficiÃncia tÃcnica das unidades, observava-se tambÃm melhora nos Ãndices de produtividade, uma reduÃÃo dos custos operacionais e elevaÃÃo das margens de rentabilidade. Por fim, foi observada importante correlaÃÃo entre o nÃvel de eficiÃncia e o volume produzido, indicando um efeito-escala na produÃÃo de leite.

依據天津市於改革開放後（1978年~2010年）農業投入產出資料建立了隨機邊界生產函數模型，並對天津農業生產效率進行了測算和分析。研究結果發現天津的農業增長主要依賴流動資本的投入，另因天津市地理環境因素，溫度高低及降雨量多寡在農業生產效率中也具有關鍵影響力，農業生產技術效率水準隨時間增加有逐漸提升趨勢，政府財政支農及農業貸款的數字逐年提升，但研究結果顯示政府財政支農金額及農業貸款對於天津農業生產效率無影響。 / Based on the agricultural input and output data from Tianjin City after the reform and opening (1978~2010), a random marginal productivity function model was built. And tests and analyses regarding the agricultural production efficiency in Tianjin City were performed. According to the research results, the agricultural growth in Tianjin City mainly depended on the input of current capital. In addition, due to the geographic and environmental factors in Tianjin City, temperature and rainfall both played an important role in the agricultural production efficiency. The agricultural production technology level had been increasing with time. The amounts of the government’s financial support for agriculture and agricultural loans had been increasing year by year. However, the research results show that these amounts had no influence on the agricultural production efficiency in Tianjin City.

Submitted by Paulo Costa (paulohenriquecosta@phcfoco.com.br) on 2011-08-18T20:22:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Cálculo econométrico 20110812 1323 _2_.pdf: 899729 bytes, checksum: 93ce3239b2ca7df3af97567de1fe9f94 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Vitor Souza (vitor.souza@fgv.br) on 2011-08-29T13:19:13Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Cálculo econométrico 20110812 1323 _2_.pdf: 899729 bytes, checksum: 93ce3239b2ca7df3af97567de1fe9f94 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2011-11-01T10:53:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Cálculo econométrico 20110812 1323 _2_.pdf: 899729 bytes, checksum: 93ce3239b2ca7df3af97567de1fe9f94 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-05-29 / The organizations lack of efficiency affects the long-term development of the whole economics. Regarding environmental health issues, greater coordination between public and private programs would increase the endemic control services globalization towards society. The lack of technology mastering (such as production; how to reach a consumer's preference; how to obtain scale profit; how to coordinate and motivate the involved public and how to strengthen the long-term institutions) generates losses up to 49% according to this rough calculation. In order to contribute with the above hypothesis and to encourage and promote the companies efficiency in this sector, this paper calculates the services efficiency through the stochastic frontier production method using data reports (2005-2008) on immunization and pest control activity. The production frontier collapsed in this meantime. The company age, focus on the leaders graduation and the profitability target variables were significant to the sample efficiency. / A falta de eficiência das organizações compromete no longo prazo o desenvolvimento de toda a economia. No caso do mercado de saúde ambiental, uma maior coordenação entre os programas públicos e privados aumentaria a universalização do serviço de controle de endemias para a sociedade. A falta do domínio da tecnologia (como produzir; como atender à preferência do consumidor; como obter ganho de escala; como coordenar e motivar os públicos envolvidos e como fortalecer as instituições de longo prazo) gera perdas de até 49% segundo esta estimativa. Para contribuir com a hipótese acima e para incentivar e promover a eficiência das empresas deste setor, este trabalho calcula a eficiência na prestação de serviço com o método de fronteira estocástica de produção com dados em painel (2005-2008) para a atividade de imunização e controle de pragas. A fronteira de produção retraiu-se neste período. As variáveis: idade da empresa, foco da formação do líder e meta de lucratividade mostram-se significativas para a eficiência da amostra.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Esta dissertaÃÃo à composta por trÃs artigos que visam ao estudo sobre produtividade total dos fatores (PTF). O primeiro capÃtulo trata da produÃÃo agrÃcola latino-americana. Na anÃlise do desempenho econÃmico dos paÃses, utiliza-se a abordagem paramÃtrica da fronteira estocÃstica de produÃÃo. Verifica-se que todos os paÃses apresentaram variaÃÃo da PTF positiva para o perÃodo de 1961 a 2010, ou seja, apresentaram crescimento do produto, assim como progresso tÃcnico positivo. A maior variaÃÃo da PTF corresponde ao Brasil, 55,73%; jà a menor variaÃÃo apresenta-se para Trinidad e Tobago, 42,06%. Contudo, a mudanÃa na eficiÃncia tÃcnica mostrou-se decrescente para quase 50% da totalidade dos paÃses. Tratando-se de eficiÃncia de escala, apenas Argentina, Brasil e Uruguai apresentaram mÃdias positivas para o perÃodo. Em relaÃÃo à mudanÃa na eficiÃncia alocativa, todos os paÃses mostraram-se decrescentes. Jà o segundo capÃtulo estuda a PTF e sua decomposiÃÃo na agropecuÃria brasileira no perÃodo entre os anos de 1970 e 2006, a partir dos dados do Censo AgropecuÃrio, tambÃm por meio do modelo economÃtrico de fronteira estocÃstica de produÃÃo, para assim analisar a contribuiÃÃo da PTF agrÃcola. As fronteiras de produÃÃo estimadas foram utilizadas para calcular as variaÃÃes no Ãndice de produtividade total de Malmquist, decomposto dos Ãndices de variaÃÃo de eficiÃncia e variaÃÃo tecnolÃgica. Os resultados apontaram uma variaÃÃo na PTF agropecuÃria brasileira positiva, tendo o estado do Mato Grosso expressado maior variaÃÃo, seguido por Rio Grande do Norte, Amapà e PiauÃ. Estados importantes para a agropecuÃria brasileira, como Bahia, Minas Gerais e SÃo Paulo, permaneceram com as variaÃÃes na PTF positivas. EspÃrito Santo e Minas Gerais foram os Ãnicos estados que apresentaram variaÃÃo maior que um em relaÃÃo à eficiÃncia tÃcnica, efeito cathing-up. Tratando-se das regiÃes, o Centro-Oeste apresentou maior ganho de produtividade total dos fatores, seguido pelo Nordeste e Norte. No terceiro capÃtulo, as medidas de eficiÃncia tÃcnica foram estudadas na produÃÃo de mangas no semiÃrido brasileiro, especificamente no Vale do SubmÃdio SÃo Francisco. O estudo das variÃveis deu-se tambÃm por meio da estimaÃÃo do modelo economÃtrico paramÃtrico de funÃÃo de produÃÃo estocÃstica. Concluiu-se que apenas sete (7) produtores de setenta e trÃs (73) lotes pesquisados mostraram-se tecnicamente eficientes; dado preocupante, visto que o grau de ineficiÃncia foi de mais de 90%. / This thesis consists of three articles which aimed the study of total factor productivity (TFP). The first one deals with the Latin American agricultural production, and analysis of the economic performance of countries, it is used the parametric approach of stochastic frontier production. It is observed that all country had positive TFP change in the period 1961-2010, which showed product growth as well as positive technical progress. The greatest TFP variation in Brazil is 55,73%, while the smallest change is in Trinidad and Tobago, 42.06%. However, the change in technical efficiency was decreased to nearly 50% of all countries. In the case of scale efficiency, only Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay had positive average for the period. Regarding the change in allocative efficiency, all countries were decreased. The second chapter studies the TFP and its decomposition in Brazilian agriculture from 1970 to 2006, using the Agricultural Census data and also by means of econometric model of stochastic frontier production to analyze the contribution of TFP agriculture. The estimated production boundaries were used to calculate the variation in total productivity Malmquist index, decomposed from varied levels of efficiency and technological change. The results showed a variation in positive Brazilian agriculture TFP, where Mato Grosso state expressed greater variation followed by Rio Grande do Norte, Amapà and PiauÃ. Important states for Brazilian agriculture as Bahia, Minas Gerais and SÃo Paulo remained positive with the changes in TFP. EspÃrito Santo and Minas Gerais were the states that showed variation bigger than one in relation to technical efficiency, cathing-up effect. In the case of the regions, the Midwest showed greater gains in total factor productivity, followed by the Northeast and North. In the third chapter, the technical efficiency measures were studied the production of mangoes in Brazilian semi-arid region, in particular in SubmÃdio SÃo Francisco Valley. The study of the variables has also occurred by the estimation of the econometric model parametrics to chastic production function. It was concluded that only seven (7) producers from seventy-three (73) lots studied demonstrated technically efficient, bad statistic, since the in efficiency degree was over 90%.

The principal aim of this thesis is to examine the validity of the claim that low productivity led to a decline in Thailand’s competitiveness, and hence, to the 1997 economic crisis. For a decade from 1985 to 1995, Thailand was one of the world’s fastest-growing economies with an average real annual GDP growth of 8.4 percent. However, such growth was criticized as being simply the result of large inward investment and rapid accumulation of capital, leading to very little productivity growth, and therefore, being unsustainable in the long run. Worse still, the later surges of capital inflows came in mainly as speculative stashes, instead of as foreign direct investments in production and businesses. Hence, as predicted, the boom finally came to a sudden end in 1997. The economic growth statistics recorded severe contraction, financial market collapsed, the currency was battered, domestic demand slumped, severe excess capacity was experienced, employment deteriorated, personal and corporate income diminished, inflation and the cost of living mounted, and finally, poverty surged. This thesis utilizes a stochastic production frontier approach to verify the claim that low productivity lessened Thailand’s competitiveness. This approach, unlike the standard econometric approach, allows the existence of technical inefficiency in the production process. It also, unlike other non-parametric approaches, recognizes that such inefficiency can sometimes occur as a result of external factors that are out of the firms’ direct control, such as statistical errors and random shocks. The period covered in this thesis is from 1990 to 2002. This is divided into 2 sub-periods, i.e. the pre-crisis period (1990 – 1996) and the post-crisis period (1997 – 2002). The estimation results indicate a structural shift in the Thai manufacturing sector, from being labour intensive in the pre-crisis period to being capital intensive in the post-crisis period. The productivity level also improved post-crisis, as compared to the pre-crisis level, and is shown to follow an increasing trend. The low productive investment level in the pre-crisis period is identified as having led to the decline in the manufacturing sector’s efficiency. The thesis concludes that this low productivity level did indeed lead to the decline in Thailand’s competitiveness, and hence, to the decline of export growth, which was at that time the main source of Thailand’s economic growth; in turn, playing an important role in precipitating the 1997 economic crisis.