Assessing efficiency of dairy goat farms by performance evaluation and benchmarking


Published: Oct 27, 2022
Updated: 2022-10-27
Keywords:
Technical Efficiency Goat farming Data Envelopment Analysis
A Batzios
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6778-7416
A Theodoridis
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8524-6218
T Bournaris
A Semos
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0139-9407
Abstract

The efficiency of goat farming sector in Greece is analyzed in this study. A survey was carried out in 96 goat farms, randomly selected in the area of Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Accounting data were recorded through face-to-face interviews with farmers and Data Envelopment Analysis was applied to estimate technical efficiency (TE) of goat farms. The mean TE estimated at 0.791, indicating that input savings of 20.9% could be achieved. 75% of the goat farms are deemed as inefficient. The gross revenue varies considerably between efficient and inefficient farms, with the first achieving €210.09 and inefficient farms €143.41/doe. Farm size classification reveals significant difference of TE among groups of small and medium sized farms (P≤0.05). The analysis of the existing structure of the farms, compared to the optimal plan resulted from DEA, shows that farms could achieve higher economic results, through a rational use of the available inputs.

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Author Biography
A Batzios, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki AUTh, Greece

School of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics

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