Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Erwerbs-Obstbau, cilt.65, sa.4, ss.1153-1161, 2023 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
This study determined how the scale of a farm affects technical efficiency based on the example of an apple-producing farm. For this purpose, the survey was carried out with apple producers in the province of Niğde, which accounts for approximately 12% of Turkey’s apple production. The farms were divided into groups according to their sizes, and the technical efficiency was calculated, assuming that each farm produces at a different production frontier. The study used the metafrontier function, widely used to compare the efficiency of enterprises that have faced different production opportunities in recent years. The results showed that the metatechnology ratio varied according to the scale of the apple farm. The average metatechnology ratio was 72.4%, 56.8%, and 83.9% in the small (0.50–1.50 ha), medium (1.51–5.00 ha), and large (5.00+ ha) farms, respectively. According to the metatechnology ratios, the large farms were the closest to the metafrontier, and the medium farms were the farthest group. With their current technologies, it is impossible for farms to produce at the metafrontier. There was a decreasing return to scale in all three groups of apple farms. It was determined that technical efficiency would change by changing inputs used in apple production. For this reason, R&D studies should be supported to determine the amount of input.