Assessing and explaining vegetable growers' efficiency in the south-eastern hilly districts of Bangladesh. Issue 4 (2nd October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Anik, Asif Reza; Salam, Md. Abdus
• Is Part Of: Journal of the Asia Pacific economy. Volume 22:Issue 4(2017)
• Page Start: 680
• Page End: 695
• Publication Date: 2017-10-02
• Subjects: Technical efficiency -- indigenous community -- land fragmentation -- land reform -- farm size -- Bangladesh; C21 -- O33 -- Q12 -- Q15; Asia -- Economic conditions -- 1945- -- Periodicals; Pacific Area -- Economic conditions -- Periodicals; Asia -- Economic integration -- Periodicals; Pacific Area -- Economic integration -- Periodicals; 330.95
• DOI: 10.1080/13547860.2017.1345113
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1354-7860

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Through analysing survey data collected from 300 vegetable growers located in the south-eastern hilly districts of Bangladesh, this article identifies drivers of production and technical efficiency in okra and eggplant production. The estimated efficiency scores reveal that around 67% and 99% of the production in okra and eggplant, respectively, are lost due to inefficiency factors. Among different production inputs, land has the highest production elasticity. Land fragmentation and land slope are positively associated with inefficiency, whereas extension service, rented in land and credit have negative associations. Compared to the lager farmers, the smaller are relatively efficient. Efficiency level is also sensitive to ethnicity, annual income, education and farming practices. The important policy outcomes of the study are: land reform to ensure land entitlement; land consolidation and farmers' organizations for better access to land; off-farm employment creation; and investment in extension service, especially for the indigenous people and for diffusion of the soil preservation technologies.