A Technical Efficiency Analysis of Taiwan’s Tilapia Production -- An Application of Stochastic Frontier Production Function

• Main Authors: Pei-Shun Hung, 洪培勳
• Other Authors: Fu-Sung Chiang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/16700321665774094233

碩士 === 國立海洋大學 === 應用經濟研究所 === 91 === Commercial production of tilapia has gained popularity in Taiwan during the last two decades. Taiwan is one of the major farmed-tilapia producing countries in Asia. This study is based on 177 samples on tilapia farming from Annual Economics Survey of Offshore Fisheries and Aquaculture in Taiwan, from 1999 to 2001. We provide a comparative analysis of the profile of tilapia farmers and their farming systems, costs, value of output and productivity. If farmers are not making efficient use of the existing technologies, improving their efficiency is usually more cost-effective than introducing new technology. A model of stochastic production frontier with technical inefficiency effects model is specified and estimated. Empirical results show that the Translog stochastic production model fits the data better. The estimated mean technical efficiency of the 177 sample farmers is 78.3%. The type of operations (full-time vs. part-time), owner’s education, and experience are some of the factors affecting technical efficiency. Those farmers with full-time, higher education and higher experience level attain higher technical efficiency. If farmers use more tilapia fry, feedstuff, medication and expenses for water and electricity, the value of output will increase. It is also found that cleaning ponds before raising tilapia increase the degree of efficiency.