Technical Efficiency of Groundnut Production in Saurashtra Region of Gujarat-A Translog Stochastic Frontier Approach

This study was conducted in Saurashtra region of Gujarat state during 2014–15. Two districts viz., Jamnagar and Junagadh has been selected randomly and primary survey was carried out with the help of pre-tested comprehensive interview schedule following stratified random sampling covering 240 sample farmers. The analysis was carried out using stochastic frontier production function and other regression techniques. The study has revealed that seed, total labour & nitrogen have a positive and significant influence on groundnut yield. Technical efficiencies ranged from 55.53 to 99.99 per cent, with a mean of 85.49 per cent, indicating that on an average the realized yield among farmers can be increased by 15 per cent in the region with the available technology and resources alone, without the use of any additional resources. Besides, it was also found that the co-efficient of groundnut acreage has the most influential determinants of technical efficiency. It is essential that proper management and allocation of existing resources and technology can lead to significant improvement in groundnut productivity levels further supported timely availability credit and other inputs.