Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 23 ISSUE 3
Written by Samir BEN ALI

This study examines the determining factors of the technical efficiency of dairy farms in Tunisia. A stochastic production frontier and a two-limit Tobit models were used to analyze technical efficiency (TE) for a sample of 108 Tunisian cattle breeders. The empirical results suggest that TE ranges from 45% to 96% and that a purebred herd composition and a favorable location for breeding system including pasture and grazed grass lead to greater efficiency. In addition, we found that dairy farmers could increase their performance by joining a professional organization. The implications of these finding for development strategies of the Tunisian dairy sector were examined.

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