Efficiency Of Rice Production Research Articles

Technical Efficiency of Rice Farmers in Telangana, India: Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)

It is known that inability of the farmers to exploit the available production technologies results in lower efficiencies of production. So, the measurement of technical efficiency in agricultural crops in developing countries like India gained renewed attention since the late 1980s from an increasing number of researchers. Accordingly, the present study has employed Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Malmquist Total Factor Productivity Index to ascertain the Technical Efficiency of rice productivity (2021-2022) and its changes over the study period (2019-2020 to 2021- 2022) respectively in Telangana, India. This study was based on secondary data pertaining to rice productivity (output variable), fertilizer doses (NPK), seed rate, water applied and organic manure (input variables). The findings of Data Envelopment Analysis revealed that the overall mean technical efficiency score across all the Decision-Making Units was 0.860 ranged between 0.592 to 1.000. So, the Decision-Making Units, on an average, could reduce their input usage by 14 per cent and still could produce the same level of rice output. Further, fertilizers (60.54 kg/ha); seed (5.63 kg/ha); water (234.48 mm) and organic manure (3.76 t/ha) use can be reduced without affecting the current level of rice productivity. Malmquist Total Factor Productivity indices (2019-2020 to 2021-2022) revealed that the mean scores of technical efficiency change, pure technical efficiency change and scale efficiency change are more than one (1.153, 1.042 and 1.009 respectively), unlike technological change (0.983). All the Decision-Making Units showed impressive progress with reference to technical efficiency change (1.112) and it is the sole contributor for Total Factor Productivity change in rice cultivation. The DEA results suggest that farmers should be informed about the use of inputs as per the scientific recommendations to boost the technical efficiency of rice productivity in Telangana. It also calls for policy initiatives for distribution of quality inputs to the farmers to boost technical efficiency in rice production.

Seed Coated by Boric Acid Enhances Growth, Yield and Kernel quality of both Fine and Coarse Rice (Oryza sativa L.) under Semi-Arid Environmental Condition

Currently, more than half of the world's population relies on rice as a primary crop, making it a crucial cereal crop in the struggle against food security. Sustainable rice production is under great threat because of poor soil productivity and fertility because of nutrient losses due to temperature stress under semiarid conditions. Boron (B) is a vital micronutrient and plays an eminent role in plant proliferation and development. The Super Basmati and KS-282 seeds were coated with boric acid at dosages of 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00 g kg-1 in this experiment. Both rice cultivars exhibited the following traits when boric acid was applied at a rate of 0.75g kg-1 seed: plant height, maximum number of productive tillers, number of kernels per panicle, grain weight in the thousand, biological yield, paddy yield and straw yield. When boric acid was applied at 0.75 g kg-1 seed, the physiological characteristics of Super Basmati and KS-282 rice cultivars, such as crop growth rate, leaf area index, leaf area duration and net absorption rate were significantly greater yielding values of 11.08 gm-2d-1 and 11.96 gm-2 d-1, 4.28 and 4.32, 67.52 and 68.94, 7.33 g m-2 d-1, and 8.93 gm When both the super basmati and KS-282 rice cultivars were treated with boric acid at 0.75 g kg-1 seed, considerably higher paddy yields (3.95 t ha-1) and (5.02 t) were obtained. The kernel quality parameters show maximum results when boric acid applied at 0.75g kg-1 seed. Current research shows that coating seed with micro nano-nutrients are highly effective procedure for increasing rice production and fertilizer use efficiency under semiarid climatic conditions.

Does Climate Change Adaptation Improve Technical Efficiency of Rice Farming? Findings From Yogyakarta Province Indonesia

Food security of the Indonesian population is threatened because climate change has the potential to reduce technical efficiency of rice production. To adapt and reduce these negative impacts, farmers implement climate change adaptation strategies. This study aims to determine how the effect of climate change adaptation on the technical efficiency of rice farming. Research data was collected through interviews with 112 rice farmers in Sleman Regency. We carried out two stages of analysis, namely stochastic frontier analysis to determine the production function and efficiency level, and tobit regression to determine the effect of adaptation strategy on technical efficiency. The findings indicate that most farmers use short-lived varieties and apply two types of adaptation strategies in one growing season. By increasing the number of adaptation strategies, the technical efficiency of rice farming will increase. These results have important policy implications for increasing the adoption of adaptation strategies by farmers. The government and farmers should collaborate to formulate adaptation strategy policies to provide farmers with a choice of adaptation strategies. Keywords: adaptation, agricultural development, climate change, rice farming, technical efficiency

Analyzing Factors That Affect Rice Production Efficiency and Organic Fertilizer Choices in Vietnam

Rice farmers in Vietnam face many difficulties achieving technical efficiency (TE), which can be measured by the distance to the production frontier, in rice production due to non-optimal combinations of inputs and the influence of household socioeconomic characteristics. This study investigates the TE of rice production by applying stochastic frontier analysis to raw data obtained from the Vietnamese Households Living Standards Survey 2016 (VHLSS 2016) database. In addition, organic fertilizers now demand much attention worldwide because of their environmentally friendly characteristics. Therefore, this study identifies the effects of organic fertilizer choices on the TE of rice production. The results show that farmers in Vietnam achieved 87.6 percent TE and that most factors tested had significant effects on rice production. Instead of rice monoculture, the four main factors with strong and positive effects on TE levels were intensive labor, irrigation, mixing crops instead of rice monoculture, and education. Moreover, this study also revealed that organic fertilizer plays a vital role in growing rice by applying propensity score matching (PSM) between farmers who use or do not use irrigation facilities in rice production. While in the process of building a system, the government should focus on rice producers to strive for maximum efficiency with regard to labor productivity and mixed-crop farming, and to take proper measures to improve rice productivity and quality through the use of organic fertilizers. As a result, this study revealed that the use of organic fertilizers for rice production in Vietnam does not always benefit households’ TE.

ACCESS TO CREDIT AND RICE PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY OF RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

The study was conducted to examine access to credit and rice production efficiency of rural households in Benue State, Nigeria. The study focuses particularly on the effects of both formal and informal credits on production levels and production efficiency by using a stochastic frontal analysis. Data were randomly collected from 650 farmers consisting of 339 borrowers and 311 non-borrowers by means of well-structured questionnaire which were analyzed through descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier analysis. The results of the SFA showed a clear effect of credit on rice production levels and production efficiency of farmers. Rice production in the borrower group was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of non-borrowers. Borrowers planted more rice, and spent more on inputs for rice production such as fertilizers, pesticides and hired machinery than non-borrowers except for expenditure on seeds. The borrowers used on average, 0.23 tons seeds and 0.24 tons fertilizer per hectare compared to an average of 0.22 tons and 0.21 tons with corresponding yields of 6.6 tons/ha and 6.0 tons/ha, respectively, for non-borrowers. Findings revealed that, the accessed credits help rice farmers to purchase inputs and improve farming technologies which ultimately transformed into higher productivity of the borrowers. The calculated technical efficiency (TE) of rice farmers ranged from 16.5% to 98.5%, with an average of 85.20%, indicating that almost all farmers achieved rather high technically efficient production. In addition, findings showed that the technical efficiency levels of borrowers were higher than those of non-borrowers confirming the positive influence of credit on production and production efficiency. Furthermore, the study showed that age, farming experience, family size, gender and access to credit are major determinants of TE in the study area. The study concluded that in order to improve the rice production outcomes, various policy recommendations needed to be considered such as expansion of rural credit systems, establishment of more branches of agricultural and community banks and formation of “Savings and Credit Cooperative Unions” (SACCOS) for collective responsibilities and paying loans.

Synchronizing Nitrogen Fertilization and Planting Date to Improve Resource Use Efficiency, Productivity, and Profitability of Upland Rice.

Synchronizing nitrogen (N) fertilization with planting date (PD) could enhance resource use efficiency and profitability of upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) production in Thailand. The objective of the study was to assess upland rice responses to four N fertilization rates (NFRs) and three planting dates. Field experiments were conducted during two growing seasons under four NFRs, no N applied (N0), 30 (N30), 60 (N60), and 90 kg N ha−1 (N90), and NFR were applied at the initiation of tillering and panicle emergence stages. The planting dates selected were early (PD1), intermedium (PD2), and late planting (PD3) between September and December of each season. The NFRs and planting dates had a significant influence on N uptake, N use efficiency (NUE), crop water productivity, yield and yield attributes, and profitability of upland rice production. A linear relationship among NFRs, agronomic traits of upland rice, N uptake, and crop water productivity was observed, and a significant seasonal effect was indicated. Fertilization at N90 under PD2 enhanced yields, yield attributes, and grain yields, as well as crop water productivity by 56 and 105% during the second and first seasons, respectively. Grain N, total N, and straw N were increased by 159, 159, and 160%, and by 90, 114, and 153%, during the first and second seasons, respectively. Enhanced N efficiencies, including agronomic efficiency, recovery efficiency, partial factor productivity, and N harvest index, at varying NFRs were observed under PD2 during both seasons. Highly significant (p < 0.001) and positive associations were observed among agronomic attributes, N uptake, NUE, and crop water productivity of upland rice in correlation assessment. Profitability from grain yields was observed with N fertilization and N90 resulted in maximum profit under all the PDs. However, the highest marginal benefit-cost ratio was observed at N60 under PD2 during both seasons. The results suggest that the NFR of 90 kg N ha−1 and planting at the end of September or start of October would enhance resource use efficiency and productivity, and maximize profitability. Furthermore, long–term field investigations with a range of NFRs and adopting forecasting measures to adjust the planting date for upland rice are recommended.

Analysis of technical efficiency of dry season rice production in saline and non-saline areas of Bangladesh

Maintaining productivity and technical efficiency of salinity affected rice farming is essential for food security in Bangladesh, given trends of increasing rates of salinity incursion. Using Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS) data, collected by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and a translog stochastic production estimation approach, we estimated the differences in technical efficiency between saline and non-saline Boro rice producers. The findings indicate that, although mean efficiency of Boro rice producers in non-saline areas (83%) is higher than that of saline areas (73%), the pooled model suggests that saline farmers are more technically efficient compared with non-saline farmers. Despite this, the per hectare output (productivity) of Boro rice is significantly lower in saline areas (5479.3 kg) compared with non-saline areas (5880.5 kg). Moreover, saline area farmers use more irrigation and family labour to maintain Boro rice output, but more irrigation decreases marginal productivity because of salinity effects. Results also show that there are socio-economic differences between farmers in saline and non-saline areas. The implications of this study are that increased levels of salinity will reduce rice production, as variations in farming systems and technical efficiency are not sufficient to compensate for lost productivity.

Rice variety and sustainable farming: A case study in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

The Mekong Delta (MKD) produces more than half of the total rice production in Vietnam. In the context of climate change, the Vietnamese government has implemented a development strategy for rice production in the MKD region to improve quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The proportion of aromatic and high-quality rice production is gradually increasing to satisfy the export market. However, there is still an over-reliance on agrochemicals and the impact of overall efficiency of major rice groups is not well understood. This study measures the overall efficiency (OE) and input slacks of rice production in the MKD and considered low-emission rice farming. Using primary survey data from 380 households, the super-slack based measure (super-SBM) in data envelopment analysis (DEA) was employed to calculate the efficiency scores and non-radial slacks of each farm. The results indicated that both aromatic rice (AR) and high-quality rice (HR) groups achieved higher OE in the autumn-winter (AW) season than in the summer-autumn (SA) season. In addition, OE also increased in paddy farms greater than two hectares and in households that have cooperative membership and practice climate smart agriculture (CSA). For the input reduction strategies based on slacks, it was found that each rice group should have the seed density reduced by amounts ranging from 29 to 45 kg/ha. N fertilizer should also be reduced by 33 kg/ha and 35 kg/ha in the SA and AW seasons, respectively. It was estimated that rice farming can correspondingly mitigate N2O emissions by 62−74.2 kg/km2 in the SA season and 64.7−73 kg/km2 in the AW season. Overall, the super-SBM model was effective in simultaneously estimating the overall efficiency and input overuse among paddy fields. In addition, the ranking of “super-efficient” rice farms also supports the restructuring policy of the government in establishing AR and HR production areas for export. Among the adaptation strategies, households that practice CSA techniques have smaller slacks of N fertilizer and irrigation. Low-emission paddy sector development in the MKD favors AR and HR if the CSA techniques are continuously promoted and strictly monitored by the Vietnamese government.

Productivity and Technical Efficiency of Rice Production in Selected Areas in Kambia District, Northern Region

Productivity and Technical Efficiency of Rice Production in Selected Areas in Kambia District, Northern Region

Determining Technical and Resource-Use Efficiency in Rice Production in East Java

This study aimed to determine the technical and resource-use efficiency of East Java. The secondary data were used from the Paddy Cultivation Household Survey ST2013 handled by BPS-Statistics Indonesia. The data was cross-sectional and were derived from ST2013 in 2014. The stochastic frontier analysis analyzed the factors that drive rice output and quantified rice production's technical efficiency. In contrast, the marginal value product-marginal factor cost (MVP-MFC) approach was used to quantify resource-use efficiency in rice production. The SFA indicated that these factors positively affect rice output except for seed, fertilizer, labor, and land utilization. However, other factors were considered apart from the land size, such as exaggerated land and labor advantage in production and bad seed and fertilizer utilization. Technical efficiency varies considerably among rice farmers, ranging from 1 percent to 100 percent, with an average of 89 percent. Their technical inefficiency was influenced by their group membership, irrigation, credit, education level, and farmer age - external farm insect pests. The government and the private sector are involved in the programs through farmer groups. Keywords: agricultural production, allocative efficiency, resource-use efficiency, parametric frontier, ST2013, technical efficiency

Bio-intensive complimentary cropping systems for north-west India

A field experiment was conducted during 2014–15 and 2015–16 at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana to evaluate bio-intensive complementary cropping systems as a possible replacement of the prevailing rice (Oryza sativa L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system. The treatments comprised 12 cropping systems and were set in a three-time replicated randomized block design. The results revealed that maize (Zea mays L.) (cobs) + vegetable cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] + Sesbania-gram (Cicer arietinum L.) + gobhi sarson (Brassica napus L.) cropping system showed maximum rice equivalent yield (229.9 q/ha), production efficiency (79.4 kg/day/ha) and net returns (`30,6066/ha). These systems also ensured saving of 127.5 cm irrigation water over the existing rice-wheat system (247.5 cm) and proved to be a viable option to avail higher profitability for farmers in Punjab. The removal of N, P and K was significantly higher in all the maize based cropping systems over rice-wheat cropping system. In addition, maize (furrow) + turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) (bed)-wheat (bed) + linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) (furrow) cropping system gave highest viable counts of actinomycetes and fungi, whereas maize (furrow) + turmeric (bed)-barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) (bed) + linseed (furrow) gave highest count for bacteria. The fodder based cropping system, viz. sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] + cowpea (fodder)-wheat + gobhi sarson with high energy output showed the highest energy-use efficiency (48.28) and energy output efficiency (6.35×103 MJ/ha/day). Maize (cobs)+vegetable cowpea + Sesbania-gram + gobhi sarson cropping system showed the highest average maximum energy productivity (8.24 kg REY/MJ) and it was mainly due to its higher REY.

Land Tenure Systems and Agricultural Productivity in Nigeria: A Case of Rice Production

This study examined land tenure systems and rice productivity in Nigeria. Primary data were used for the study. Data were collected with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire. A four-stage sampling technique was used to select a total sample size of three hundred and forty-nine (349) rice farmers for the study. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, total factor productivity, and the Stochastic production frontier model. The study revealed that a large portion of the land (over 94%) used for rice production was acquired through inheritance mode of land acquisition and communal type of land tenure system widely practised. The result of total factor productivity indicated that 62.18% of the rice farmers were at a sub-optimal productivity level. The results of the stochastic production frontier function revealed that seed (P&lt; 0.10), and fertilizer application (P&lt;0.01) were the significant factors influencing the technical efficiency of rice production in the study area. Based on the findings, the study recommends that the current land use act and policy should be amended to prevent concurrent grabbing of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes to enhance the availability and accessibility of land for agriculture.

Evaluation and Comparative Analysis of Meteorological Data, Moisture Content, and Rice Panicle Threshability

Harvesting and threshing are crucial processes that influence the quantity, quality, and economic efficiency of rice production. Therefore, the threshability of rice varieties is an important agronomic trait for breeding programs. However, selection for threshability is hardly standardized. With the application of an improved threshing meter, the threshability of four local temperate japonica rice varieties was determined during the ripening phase (DAF 37–60) in three consecutive years. Panicle threshing force (TF in N) was measured parallel with seed moisture content (MC) to describe differences in ripening habits of the genotypes. Shapes of the separation pilei were observed and the relationship with the different types of grain shattering was found. The different threshability patterns of the genotypes were found as quite stable along these periods. Moreover, correlation among TF, MC, and 5-day averages of meteorological parameters during the ripening phase was determined. Precipitation, Tmean, Tmax, and relative humidity had a significant influence on the MC. Based on our results, the MC had a low but significant positive correlation with the TF (0.312 *).

Toward improving nitrogen use efficiency in rice production: the socio-economic, climatic and technological determinants of briquette urea adoption

AbstractDeep placement of briquette urea (BU) is environmentally friendly and promotes for better nitrogen use efficiency. Nonetheless, its farm-level adoption is low. This paper contributes to the existing literature on climate-smart technology adoption by examining the factors that affect the BU adoption decision using the national representative Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS-15) dataset consisting of 3384 rice farmers in Bangladesh. BU adoption probability is higher for farms that specialize in rice production, have more assets, use mobile phones for farming and have better access to extension services. Also, empowered women have a higher propensity to adopt BU. However, living in the feed the future zone decreases adoption probability. BU adoption probability is inversely correlated with rainfall and salinity vulnerability, while the opposite is observed for cyclone and drought vulnerability. Compared to the prilled urea (PU) users, the BU adopters applied a significantly lower amount of urea. The adopters produce more and have a relatively higher return, though the differences are insignificant. The relatively high price of BU compared to PU and the associated high labor requirement dampers the benefit of adopting the technology. Reallocation of subsidies from PU toward BU could be an effective way of promoting BU technology.

Exploring the relationship between plot size and fertilizer use efficiency: evidence from large-scale farming in China

PurposeThis paper investigates the relationship between plot size and fertilizer use efficiency (FE) in Chinese large-scale farming and searches for the underlying mechanisms that explain this relationship.Design/methodology/approachBased on a household- and plot-level data set of large-scale production units (LSPUs) from Jiangsu and Jiangxi Provinces, the technical and fertilizer use efficiency of large-scale rice production is estimated by applying a translog stochastic frontier production function. The authors impose a monotonicity condition on the translog frontier using a three-step procedure to get theoretically consistent efficiency estimates. A beta regression model is then used to explore the association between plot size and LSPUs' efficiency in fertilizer application.FindingsThe average FE for the sampled plots is around 30%, which shows a large potential for LSPUs to reduce fertilizer use. A U-shaped relationship is observed between plot size and FE. The authors relate this non-linear pattern to the substitution of labour with capital-intensive technology and the efficiency differences in terms of farming performance between family and hired workers.Originality/valueFirst, according to the authors’ knowledge, this paper is a first attempt to study the size–efficiency relationship focussing on fertilization practices of large-scale farming. The second contribution lies in the large-scale ranges of the plot-level data set. Third, efforts are made to reveal the mechanisms determining the plot size–FE relationship. Fourth, the authors provide guiding evidence for policymaking, as they show that the size of individual plots deserves equal attention in land consolidation decisions. Methodologically, this paper improves existing estimates of single-factor technical efficiency issued from a restricted production frontier model.

Economic efficiency of rice production in kafr el-sheikh governorate.

Economic efficiency of rice production in kafr el-sheikh governorate.

Rice Subsector Development and Farmer Efficiency in Nepal: Implications for Further Transformation and Food Security

With economic development agricultural systems in the Global South transform from subsistence farming to higher productivity with market integration and increase in rural income and food security. In Nepal, agriculture continues to provide livelihoods for two-thirds of the predominantly rural population, largely at a subsistence-level. Rice is the staple food and covers the largest land area but yields are relatively low, with an annual import bill of USD 300 Million. The study uses data from 310 households from two distinct rice producing areas to assess farmers' rice production systems. It analyses farmers' rice production efficiency using a stochastic frontier production function to suggest how to advance the transformation of Nepal's rice sector. Our study finds that while agriculture related services such as access to inputs, information, markets, irrigation, and finance have generally improved, paddy farmers are only able to achieve 76% of potential output. Small/marginal farms were relatively less efficient than medium and large farms. Women farmers faced unequal access to technologies and have lower productivity than men. Unavailability of labor and capital, land fragmentation, and the lack of consistent access to seed and fertilizers contribute to reduced efficiency. Public and private sector investments are needed to enhance the timely and adequate access to quality seeds, fertilizers, processing facilities, and equipment services. Adopting a market systems approach through cooperative farming, targeted delivery of extension services, and linkages with rice millers can promote inclusive growth and improve rice food security in Nepal.

Assessing rice production efficiency for food security policy planning in Malaysia: A non-parametric bootstrap data envelopment analysis approach

The 2007–2008 international food crisis triggered national food security policies of several countries worldwide, creating a problematic situation in the global food landscape and led to a drastic shift in the national food security policy (NFSP) approaches undertaken by affected countries. In this context, agricultural policies were reformulated to focus on achieving a certain degree of self-sufficiency while obtaining agricultural efficiency and sustainable agricultural development. This study empirically evaluated Malaysian rice self-sufficiency (RSS) approach, focusing on production efficiency closely related to maximizing production approach and minimizing environmental impact. We utilized non‑parametric bootstrap data envelopment analysis (DEA), input- and output specifications to estimate the relative technical efficiency scores of decision‑making units (DMUs) by constructing confidence intervals and correcting efficiency estimations. Our finding reveals that the Malaysian RSS policy approach demonstrates a better orientation toward output maximization than resource saving. However, the average annual change of the efficiency scores in both specifications was found to deteriorate during the analyzed period. Based on regional analysis, an improved RSS strategic approach could help the nation attain rice production maximization, minimize the environmental impacts, and obtain production efficiency mainly through modernizing the irrigation systems, efficient agrochemical inputs usage, adopting best agricultural practices, and implementing soil treatments programs.

Analisis Efisiensi Usahatani Padi di Jawa dan Luar Jawa, Kajian Prospek Peningkatan Produksi Padi Nasional

Rice can grow in almost all of the islands in Indonesia, but 57 per cent of it was produced in Java, which is less than 10 per cent of the national area in Indonesia. To anticipate the increasing need for rice consumption, it is important to study the prospects for increasing national rice production, especially by utilizing the potential of agricultural land outside Java island. The purpose of this study was to identify the prospects for the development of national rice, especially outside Java island, from the perspective of rice production factors and technical efficiency at the farm level. Using stochastic frontier analysis, the translog production function showed that the increasing use of inputs (land, seeds, fertilizers, pesticides) will not significantly increase rice production both in Java and outside Java island (inelastic). Technical efficiency analysis indicated that rice production in Java and outside Java island was 28 and 39 per cent below its frontier, respectively. Further analysis showed that irrigation, land status, farmer groups, and farmer education were significantly improved technical efficiency. This study concluded that the potential to increase rice production by increasing technical efficiency outside of Java island was greater than in Java island. However, increasing the efficiency of rice production outside Java may be constrained by the availability of irrigated agricultural land. To significantly increase national rice production both in Java and outside Java island, a breakthrough in new rice production technology is needed.

Technical Efficiency and Technological Gaps of Rice Production in Anambra State, Nigeria

The traditional approach to modeling productive efficiency assumes that technology is constant across the sample. However, farms in different regions may face different production opportunities, and the technologies they employ may differ due to environmental factors. Therefore, rather than using a traditional stochastic frontier model in such cases, a stochastic meta-frontier (SMF) analysis is recommended to account for environmental factors between regions. It follows that differences in environmental factors between the upland and lowland regions in Anambra State, Nigeria, may result in farmers producing rice under different production and environmental conditions. Using the SMF model, this study, for the first time, determines technical efficiency (TE) and technological gap ratios (TGRs) of rice production from the upland and lowland regions in the Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. Our data are from a cross-section sample of randomly selected rice farmers. Results reveal that lowland regional rice producers are on average, significantly more technically efficient (91.7%) than their upland counterparts (84.2%). Additionally, mean TGRs associated with lowland rice farmers are higher (92.1%) than their corresponding upland producers (84.7%). While the upland rice producers are less technically efficient and further away from their full potential, results indicate that both sets of farmers do not use advanced technologies to match the industry’s potential. We suggest that agricultural policy should focus on providing regionally specific technologies, such as improved rice varieties that fit the working environment of the lagging area, to help rice farmers improve their resource efficiency and minimize technological gaps.