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Efficiency Measures in the Agricultural Sector pp 3–12Cite as

Efficiency Measures in the Agricultural Sector: The Beginning

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Abstract

The agricultural productivity is often based on non-parametric models (DEA), or stochastic models (SFA). In this initial article, the editors start by pointing that the models (DEA and SFA) allow estimating the efficiency of the production frontier and their structural forms. Then, it is presented, in general terms, the differences between DEA and SFA models: DEA model involves the use of technical linear programming to construct a non-parametric piecewise surface, and SFA models comprise econometric models with a random variable, or an error term, including two components: one to account for random effects and another to take care of the technical inefficiency effects. Finally, it shows a comparison between the two approaches (SFA and DEA) and the advantages and disadvantages of their utilizations.

Keywords

  • Data Envelopment Analysis
  • Models
  • Non-parametric
  • Parametric
  • Stochastic Frontier Analysis

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEEAplA, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade dos Açores, Rua Capitão João de Ávila, 9700-042, Angra do Heroísmo, Açores, Portugal

    Emiliana Silva

  2. CEEAplA, Departamento de Matemática, Universidade dos Açores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9500-801, Ponta Delgada, Açores, Portugal

    Armando B. Mendes

  3. CIMA, Departamento de Matemática, Universidade de Évora, Colégio Luís Antº Verney R. Romão Ramalho, 59, 7000-671, Évora, Portugal

    Jorge Santos

Authors
  1. Emiliana Silva
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  2. Armando B. Mendes
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  3. Jorge Santos
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emiliana Silva .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Mathematics, Azores University, Mãe de Deus, Ponta Delgada, 9501-801, Portugal

    Armando B. Mendes

  2. , Agricultural Sciences Department, University of Azores, Rua Capitão João de Ávila, Angra do Heroísmo, 9700-042, Portugal

    Emiliana L. D. G. Soares da Silva

  3. , Mathematics, Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, R. Romão Ramalho 59, Évora, 7000-671, Portugal

    Jorge M Azevedo Santos

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Silva, E., Mendes, A.B., Santos, J. (2013). Efficiency Measures in the Agricultural Sector: The Beginning. In: Mendes, A., L. D. G. Soares da Silva, E., Azevedo Santos, J. (eds) Efficiency Measures in the Agricultural Sector. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5739-4_1

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