PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL POULTRY FARMS: A PROFITABILITY AND EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS

The present study determines the profitability and technical, allocative and economic efficiency of commercial poultry farms. It is based on the data collected from 30 poultry farms of Gazipur district for the year 1995-96. Descriptive statistical measures as well as stochastic production frontier method were used for the analysis of data. The results of the study indicated that poultry farming was a profitable business and the large farms were the most profitable compared to the others. The estimated technical efficiency of the poultry farms was 0.92 and overall allocative efficiency was 0.69. The estimated economic efficiency of poultry farms was 0.62 indicating that there exists the potential to increase profit of the poultry farms with the available resources by increasing their efficiency. Major problems faced by the poultry farms (as reported by the farmers) were inadequate availability of feed and chicks, inadequate supply of vaccines, and high price of feed