Technical, Allocative, Cost and Scale Efficiencies in Bangladesh Rice Cultivation: A Non‐parametric Approach
基于1997年406个孟加拉国水稻农场的微观数据，用非参数方法测算技术、配置、成本和规模效率，发现劳动力与化肥过度使用导致配置低效，并识别出家庭规模、市场准入等影响效率差异的因素。
Applying programming techniques to detailed data for 406 rice farms in 21 villages, for 1997, produces inefficiency measures, which differ substantially from the results of simple yield and unit cost measures. For the Boro (dry) season, mean technical efficiency was 69.4 per cent, allocative efficiency was 81.3 per cent, cost efficiency was 56.2 per cent and scale efficiency 94.9 per cent. The Aman (wet) season results are similar, but a few points lower. Allocative inefficiency is due to overuse of labour, suggesting population pressure, and of fertiliser, where recommended rates may warrant revision. Second‐stage regressions show that large families are more inefficient, whereas farmers with better access to input markets, and those who do less off‐farm work, tend to be more efficient. The information on the sources of inter‐farm performance differentials could be used by the extension agents to help inefficient farmers. There is little excuse for such sub‐optimal use of survey data, which are often collected at substantial costs.