Eficiência na produção agrícola paulista e seus determinantes

Abstract

The objective of this paper was to measure the efficiency in the agricultural production of Sao Paulo State, Brazil, as well as the factors that affected the efficiency indexes. Empirical analysis used stochastic frontier production functions - with both Cobb-Douglas and Translog production specifications and cross section data of the crop years 1973/74 and 1988/89. Results confirmed the positive impact on agricultural efficiency of schooling, experience, and agricultural research. Rural credit improved production efficiency, while guaranteed minimum prices for agricultural outputs boosted efficiency. Environmental variables, such as water availability and land quality, also influenced production efficiency. Small-sized farms tended to be more efficient overall, and over time the most efficient farms moved geographically from traditional agricultural areas to those deploying more advanced technologies. Finally, the policy implications of these empirical findings were briefly discussed.