TY - JOUR
T1 - Social changes, economic performance and development
T2 - The case of goat production in Oman
AU - Zaibet, L.
AU - Dharmapala, P. S.
AU - Boughanmi, H.
AU - Mahgoub, O.
AU - Al-Marshudi, A.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors wish to acknowledge the help of the following people in the collection of data during field visits: Abdullah Al Halhali, Rabea AL Muqbali, Omar AL Jabri and Talib Al Hinai. The participation of the personnel of the development center in Jabal Akhdar is highly appreciated. The paper is an outcome of a research project financed by Sultan Qaboos University, Grant IG/AGR/ECON/99/01.
PY - 2004/8
Y1 - 2004/8
N2 - This study investigates socio-economic changes in a local community in Oman and assesses their impact on economic performance using the concept of technical efficiency. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) based on the Charnes-Cooper-Rhodes (CCR) and Banker-Charnes-Cooper (BCC) models is used to derive technical efficiency measures and Banker-Thrall model is used to compute returns-to-scale (RTS) intervals. Then the two-stage ordinary least squares (OLS) method was used to determine the components of technical efficiency. The influential inputs were found to be non-farm income and feeding cost. Farm size, flock size and family labor were not influential in predicting the output for technically efficient farmers. Major conclusions from the analysis were summarized as follows: (i) non-farm income is the major source of income; (ii) relatively large sizes of flock are maintained, however, declining grazing is compensated by increasing purchase of feed-stuff; and (iii) important inefficiencies exist in the use of resources. Based on these findings, policy recommendations were formulated.
AB - This study investigates socio-economic changes in a local community in Oman and assesses their impact on economic performance using the concept of technical efficiency. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) based on the Charnes-Cooper-Rhodes (CCR) and Banker-Charnes-Cooper (BCC) models is used to derive technical efficiency measures and Banker-Thrall model is used to compute returns-to-scale (RTS) intervals. Then the two-stage ordinary least squares (OLS) method was used to determine the components of technical efficiency. The influential inputs were found to be non-farm income and feeding cost. Farm size, flock size and family labor were not influential in predicting the output for technically efficient farmers. Major conclusions from the analysis were summarized as follows: (i) non-farm income is the major source of income; (ii) relatively large sizes of flock are maintained, however, declining grazing is compensated by increasing purchase of feed-stuff; and (iii) important inefficiencies exist in the use of resources. Based on these findings, policy recommendations were formulated.
KW - DEA
KW - Goats
KW - Oman
KW - Policy
KW - Returns-to-scale
KW - Technical efficiency
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U2 - 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2003.11.002
DO - 10.1016/j.smallrumres.2003.11.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:3142605106
SN - 0921-4488
VL - 54
SP - 131
EP - 140
JO - Small Ruminant Research
JF - Small Ruminant Research
IS - 1-2
ER -