Economic efficiency of poultry egg production in Surkhandarya province, Uzbekistan

Abstract

The study assessed the determinants of efficiency of poultry egg production in Surkhandarya province of Uzbekistan. Data was collected through a multi-stage sampling technique and analysed using stochastic production frontier. The results revealed that feed intake and utility were the most important inputs in poultry egg production in the area. Furthermore, the study found the average efficiency estimate to be 87.64% and this was influenced positively by education, access to credit and experience. However, about 12.36% of the profit was lost to technical inefficiency. Findings from the study also showed that farmers were operating in stage one of production at 1.04, which is the area of increasing returns to scale. The study thus recommends that efforts should be made at ensuring the poultry farmers have access to credit and educational programs should be organized to sensitize farmers more on how to improve on their efficiency level. It is also recommended that farmers increase their stock of birds, have membership of Parrandasanoat Association, feed and utilities in other to operate at the stage two of production.