Measurement of technical and scale efficiency of dairy farms in Pune district of Maharashtra: Data envelopment analysis approach

The present study intended to determine the technical and scale efficiency of sample dairy farms for evaluating their performance. Data Envelopment Analy sis (DEA) technique was used to estimate the technical and scale efficiency of 80 each of member and non- member dairy farms in the Pune district of Maharashtra state during 2019. Technical efficiency score further partitioned into pure technical efficiency and overall technical efficiency. The technical efficiency score was more for member dairy farms as compared to the non-members under the assumption of constant return to scale (CRS) and variable return to scale (VRS). It highlighted that the non-members of dairy cooperatives had more potential to reduce the input use without affecting the output level compared to the member group. It was also observed that the technical efficiency under the CRS assumption was more than VRS for both member and non-member groups. It revealed that the farms were scaled inefficient (SE<1) and not operating at optimal scale. The study further revealed a positive relationship between technical efficiency and herd size. It also revealed that the resource-saving potential due to the scale effect. So, it supported the policy of providing technical advice on the use of feed and fodder resources, better management practices, and increasing the herd size to increase the technical and scale efficiency.