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Assessing the
efficiency of hazelnut production
Osman Kilic1*, Turan Binici2
and Carl R. Zulauf3
1Department
of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Ondokuz
Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey.
2Department
of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Harran
University, Sanlıurfa, Turkey.
3Department
of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics,
Ohio State University, Ohio, USA.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
okilic@omu.edu.tr.
Accepted 3 July, 2009 |
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This study investigates production efficiency of hazelnut
farmers located in the Carsamba Plain, Samsun-Turkey. A
sample of 78 farmers was selected by a two-stage sampling
process. Data Envelopment Analysis and Tobit Regression
Analysis found that production efficiency of the hazelnut
farmers ranged from 26.1 to 100.0%, with an average of
73.5%. This level of technical efficiency is consistent with
the technical efficiency found in other studies of crop
production in developing countries. Nevertheless, 70.5% of
the hazelnut farms are using inputs inefficiently. A
statistically significant positive relationship between a
farmer’s education and a farm’s technical efficiency
underscores the need for public investment in rural
education to improve the efficient use of inputs. A
statistically insignificant relationship between farm size
and a farm’s technical efficiency implies that education
programs should be available to all farmers regardless of
the size of their farm. Moreover, the statistically
significant relationship between farm fragmentation and
efficiency is consistent with the importance of land
consolidation program.
Key words:
Data envelopment analysis, technical efficiency, hazelnut,
Turkey. |
