ประสิทธิภาพทางเทคนิคของการผลิตสับปะรด ในจังหวัดประจวบคีรีขันธ์และเชียงราย

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the technical efficiency of pineapple production as well as factors contributing to technical efficiency of pineapple production in Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chiang Rai Provinces. Primary data of pineapple production in 2012/2013 crop year were gathered from 168 and 142 sample farmers in Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chiang Rai Provinces, respectively. The Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) model in Translog production functional form was applied using Frontier 4.1 software program to analyze the levels of technical efficiency of pineapple farming in the two provinces. Moreover, the difference between Prachuab Khiri Khan and Chiang Rai pineapple production in terms of technology set and level of technical efficiency was analyzed within the Metafrontier and Metatechnology Ratio frameworks using SHAZAM Version 8. From the field survey, the differences were found in pineapple production management practices between farmers in Chiang Rai and those in Prachuap Khiri Khan with respect to fertilizers application, trimming pineapple plants, and forced flowering of pineapples. The two provinces have different pineapple farming environment in terms of terrain and climate, thus bearing implication on farmers’ choice of technology sets and level of technical efficiency The stochastic production frontier was estimated separately for the cases of Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chiang Rai Province on the ground of different pineapple production technologies. The average technical efficiency of pineapple production in Prachuap Khiri Khan was found to be 0.876 while that in Chiang Rai was 0.767. The input variables affecting, positively at statistically significant level, the pineapple yield performance in Prachuap Kiri Khan were the number of suckers as propagation material and the chemical fertilizer measured in monetary term, while in the case of Chiang Rai they were the number of suckers and labor. The dummy variable for agrochemical to force flowering was found to have no statistically significant effect on pineapple yield performance in either province. In Prachuap Khiri Khan, factors contributing positively to production efficiency were education and experience of farmer, while the hampering factors were multiple cropping and farmers’ attitude toward environmentally friendly production. In Chiang Rai, it was found that technical efficiency increases with land tenure status; particularly the tenant farmers were those who had high technical efficiency in pineapple production. The size of cultivated area, however, appeared to be a factor lowering the technical efficiency. The LR statistical test was undertaken to compare technical efficiency of pineapple cropping between group of farmers in Prachuap Khiri Khan and that in Chiang Rai and the result suggested different technology sets existed across groups thus providing a logical basis for performing further relative efficiency analysis under the Metafrontier framework. Consequently, with reference to the constructed Metafrontier, the metatechnology ratio of farmers in Prachuap Khiri Khan and that of farmers in Chiang Rai was calculated to be 0.694 and 0.915, respectively. These results indicated that under the overall feasible pineapple production technology set, there is relatively greater gap left for pineapple growers in Prachuap Khiri Khan to improve their cropping management and productivity in comparison with those in Ching Rai who were already operating quite close to the full efficiency possibility. In case MTR of farmers in Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chiang Rai Provinces equal one, it means that the farmers can produce up to maximum performance levels and are able to produce the highest possible yield under inputs and technology used. Furthermore, by considering the technical efficiency of production in each province together with the corresponding technology ratio, it was found that the pineapple output productivity in Prachuap Khiri Khan was lower than that in Chiang Rai as the relative technical efficiency with respect to the Metafrontier was measured 0.608 and 0.700, respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that under the Metafrontier consideration, pineapple farmers in Chiang Rai are more efficient in input use and production management than those in Prachuap Khiri Khan.