AN ANALYSIS OF TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF RICE FARMERS IN PAKISTANI PUNJAB

This study uses stochastic Cobb-Douglas production frontier to estimate farm level technical efficiency of rice farms. Average technical efficiency of sampled farms was estimated to be 85 percent with a minimum of 57 percent and a maximum of 96 percent. The results further showed that the visits of agricultural extension agents on the farm or farmers' visits to extension office and the availability of agricultural credit played significant role in improving technical efficiency. More experienced (aged) and educated farmers also realized high productive efficiency and thus output; however, the effect was not statistically significant. These results imply that considerable scope exists in the sampled area to increase rice output by improving farm management and providing other facilities to the farmers