Technical Efficiency of Shrimp Farming in Bangladesh: An Application of the Stochastic Production Frontier Approach

Abstract

This study estimates the levels and determinants of farm‐level technical efficiency of shrimp farmers, using the stochastic production frontier function involving a model for technical inefficiency effects. A sample of 90 brackish water shrimp farms were surveyed in the region of Shyamnagar Upazila of the Satkhira District, Bangladesh, to study their economic efficiencies. Data were collected, using a questionnaire survey from September to October 2011. The mean technical efficiency level of the shrimp farmers was estimated at 82%, and thus, farmers operate 18% below the production frontier. The results suggest that the inefficiency effect is significant, and that education, age, non‐farm income and distance of the farm are significant determinants of technical inefficiency. By operating at full technical efficiency levels, shrimp production can increase from the current yield of 225.56 to 265.28 kg/ha. Besides improving technical efficiency, technological progress and extension services (such as dissemination of proper information of the technological practices and further adoption of technological practices) can also contribute to increased shrimp production levels. Finally, quality feed and fingerling at affordable prices need to be ensured to further promote shrimp production.

Mesure et déterminants de l’efficacité technique des pisciculteurs du Bénin

“…La taille de l'échantillon est de 649 pisciculteurs sélectionnés de manière aléatoire. Cet échantillon est de grande taille comparée à la plupart des études antérieures menées dans les pays en voie de développement (Ogundari et al, 2010;Onumah et al, 2010;Ahmed et al, 2011;Alam et al, 2011;Begum et al, 2013;Iliyasu et al, 2015;Dickson et al, 2016). La base de sondage exploitée est celle du recensement des pisciculteurs réalisé par Kpenavoun et al (2015) …”

Metafronteira de produção e eficiência técnica da carcinicultura nos estados do Ceará e Rio Grande do Norte

“…Segundo os autores, há um grande número de pequenos e médios produtores, que se caracterizam pela utilização de sistemas extensivos e semi-intensivo de produção, diferente do quadro encontrado no Ceará, caracterizado por produtores que utilizam sistemas semi-intensivo e intensivo de produção. Essas características regionais não 1 No mundo, a eficiência técnica da carcinicultura foi investigada na Malásia (Islam et al, 2014), Vietnã (Kiet & Fisher, 2014), Bangladesh (Begum et al, 2013), e Índia (Sivaraman et al, 2015). devem ser negligenciadas e, para contornar esta limitação, nesse estudo, utiliza-se a função de metafronteira de produção, a qual permite comparar o grau de eficiência técnica entre regiões, tendo como base a mesma linha de referência (benchmark).…”

Technical efficiency of different farm sizes for tilapia farming in China

“…A few species‐specific technical efficiency studies have been undertaken in tilapia production, including (Alam, Khan, & Huq, ; Bugarin & Bayacag, ; Chiang & Huang, ; Dey, Paraguas, Bimbao, & Regaspi, ) in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Bangladesh respectively. Technical efficiency studies on other species, such as carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) (Arjumanara, Alam, Rahman, & Jabber, ; Iinuma, Sharma, & Leung, ; Sharma & Leung, , ; Yin et al (), prawns ( Litopenaeus vannamei )‐carp (Alam & Murshed‐e‐Jahan ), pangas ( Pangasius hypophthalmus ) (Alam, ), shrimp ( Penaeus vannamei ) (Begum, Hossain, & Papanagiotou, ; Sivaraman et al, ), milkfish ( Chanos chanos ) (Chiang et al, ) and mussels ( Mytilidae ) (Theodoridis, Batzios, Ragkos, & Angelidis, ), are also available. Other studies on different farming systems such as cage fish farming (Iliyasu, Mohamed, Ismail, Amin, & Mazuki, ) and tank culture (Iliyasu & Mohamed, ) are also available.…”