The efficiency of water buffalo farms in semi-intensive feeding system: A case study from Balıkesir, Türkiye

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether or not the buffalo farms in the semi-intensive system are operating at an effective level. Material and Methods: The data were obtained from face-to-face interviews with 102 buffalo breeders in Balıkesir province. Data Envelopment Analysis was used to determine the technical efficiency of the buffalo farms, and Tobit regression model was used to determine the factors affecting the technical efficiency. Results: The results reveal that the buffalo farms don’t work effectively in terms of both pure technical efficiency (VRSTE: 0.668) and scale efficiency (SE: 0.687). According to pure technical efficiency scores, 23.53% of buffalo farms operate at full efficiency level. 90% of the buffalo farms that implement the semi-intensive system operate at a decreasing return to scale. This condition shows that the farms exceed the optimal size limits. Conclusion: The technical efficiency of buffalo farms may vary depending on various factors in the countries that apply semi-intensive feeding systems in buffalo farms.