Technical Efficiency of Paddy Farmers in Andhra PradeshA Stochastic Frontier Production Approach with Panel Data

The present study followed Battese and Coelli (1988) approach to analyze the role of firm-specific factors in technical efficiency. The farm level panel data of Andhra Pradesh for the years 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93, has been used in the study. This data was collected from the Cost of Cultivation unit, Dept. of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. Significant intra-farm variations (in both the seasons) in the usage of important inputs at the zonal and state levels, leads to variations in the efficiency levels of the farmers in paddy cultivation. The results of this study showed that education, power and fuel and rainfall have had significant influence on the technical efficiency levels of the farmers