1ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, WALMI complex, Phulwarisharif, Patna - 801 505
2Dept. of Agricultural Economics, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
The authors acknowledge the suggestions offered by the referee which added value to the paper.
The study reports the results of an investigation conducted in the Sone canal command area of Bihar to find the level of technical inefficiency in the production of wheat and to asses the effect of farm-specific socio-economic variables on this inefficiency. A stochastic frontier production function has been estimated to determine technical inefficiency of individual farm and variance as well as regression analyses have been carried out to find the influence of socio-economic factors. The farms in the Sone command area are producing wheat with the average technical inefficiency of 18.71%, the maximum being 53.46% and minimum 4.41%. Wheat production in the study area can be increased to an extent of 18.71% with the available technology and resources if they are used judiciously. It has been found that factors like farm size, farmer's education, extension contacts, and experience in production and the percentage of good farm land influence the technical inefficiency negatively while fragmentations of farm land and age of farmer influence it positively. Location of the farm in the canal command, caste of the farmer and number of farm workers in the family have shown no significant relationship with technical inefficiency in wheat production in this area.
