Production Efficiency of Family Farms and Business Farms in the Brazilian Regions

   59th Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International. Ottawa, Canada - November 7th - 10th, 2012.

25 Pages Posted: 1 Mar 2014

See all articles by Denise Imori

Denise Imori

University of São Paulo (USP)

Joaquim Guilhoto

University of Sao Paulo; Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) - Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry (STI)

Fernando Postali

University of São Paulo (USP) - Department of Economics

Date Written: 2012

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the technical efficiency of farms in Brazil and its regions, based on the data from the 2006 Census of Agriculture. More specifically, it seeks to compare the technical efficiency of family farms in relation to business farms, considering the regional differences in the country. To do so, one simultaneously estimated, under different assumptions, stochastic production frontiers and inefficiency effects models. Thus, it was possible to measure the technical efficiency of farms, as well as analyze the influence of factors related to the production environment, allowing the indication of public policies aimed at improving the performance of producers. In the empirical estimation, it was observed, as expected, lower technical efficiency for family farms. In regional terms, with respect to the technical efficiency of business farms, the South region of Brazil stood out, also presenting, along with the Midwest region, the highest efficiency rates for family farms, on average. Regarding the influence of production environment, it was found that formal education and access to credit are noteworthy as important factors for the technical efficiency of Brazilian agriculture.

Keywords: Census of agriculture, Econometrics, Agriculture economics

JEL Classification: D24, Q12, R11

Suggested Citation

Imori, Denise and Guilhoto, Joaquim José Martins and Guilhoto, Joaquim José Martins and Postali, Fernando Antonio Slaibe, Production Efficiency of Family Farms and Business Farms in the Brazilian Regions (2012).    59th Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International. Ottawa, Canada - November 7th - 10th, 2012. , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2402267 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2402267

Denise Imori

University of São Paulo (USP) ( email )

Rua Luciano Gualberto, 315
São Paulo, São Paulo 14800-901
Brazil

Joaquim José Martins Guilhoto (Contact Author)

University of Sao Paulo ( email )

Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto, 908
FEA2
Sao Paulo, 05508-010
Brazil
+ 55 011 3091-5870 (Phone)
+ 55 011 3813-4743 (Fax)

Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) - Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry (STI) ( email )

Paris
France

Fernando Antonio Slaibe Postali

University of São Paulo (USP) - Department of Economics ( email )

Av. Prof. Luciano Gualberto 908
Sao Paulo SP, 05508-900
Brazil
+55 11 30915915 (Phone)
+55 11 30915915 (Fax)

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
55
Abstract Views
624
Rank
609,631
PlumX Metrics