Technical Efficiency of Maize Production and Its Influencing Factors in the World’s Largest Groundwater Drop Funnel Area, China

Zhaohong Wu, Wenyuan Hua, Liangguo Luo and Katsuya Tanaka ()
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Zhaohong Wu: Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100089, China
Wenyuan Hua: Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100089, China
Liangguo Luo: Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100089, China

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: Improving the efficiency of maize production is of great significance for global food security and the effective supply of agricultural products. Based on the survey data of 381 rural households, this study uses a stochastic frontier analysis to estimate the efficiency value and empirically analyze the factors affecting the technology efficiency of maize production in the Hengshui area of the North China Plain. First, higher costs were found to be related to extensive production methods of fertilization, pesticide application, and irrigation. Second, the results showed that there was an inverted U-shaped relationship between the irrigation cost and maize output. Specifically, when the irrigation cost was about 938 yuan/hectare, the maize output per unit area was optimal. Third, there was also an inverted U-shaped relationship between the fertilizer cost and maize output, and the loss of technical efficiency of maize output was minimal when the fertilizer cost is 2547 yuan/hectare. In addition, the findings of the inefficiency influencing factor model suggested that temperature and humidity were all positively associated with the non-efficiency of maize production. These findings can provide empirical support for improving the efficiency of maize production in North China or arid and semi-arid regions around the world.

Keywords: maize production; technical efficiency; stochastic frontier analysis; Hebei province (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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