Technology gap in sheep farms in Türkiye

-The objective of this study was to spatially estimate the technical efficiency of sheep farms and explore the factors affecting the technical efficiency. Research data were collected randomly from 328 selected sheep farms in Ankara, Antalya, Diyarbakir, Konya, Mersin, and Sanliurfa provinces in Turkiye. The meta-frontier technical efficiencies (MTE) were estimated by using a stochastic meta-frontier production model. The meta-frontier technology ratio (MTR) was used to calculate the distance from the individual frontier to the meta-frontier. The determinants of technical efficiency were explored by using the two-limit Tobit model. Research results showed that the technical efficiency level of sheep farms varied spatially. The MTE of sheep farms in Ankara, Antalya, Diyarbakir, Konya, Mersin, and Sanliurfa were 0.45, 0.24, 0.25, 0.36, 0.42, and 0.21, respectively. The MTR was the highest in Konya, while the smallest was in Sanliurfa. Research results also showed that the variables of family size, education level of the operator, liquidity, return on asset, and information on sheep breeding positively affected the technical efficiency level of sheep farms. In contrast, total capital and farmland were negatively affected. The study suggests strengthening the economic viability of sheep farms and increasing their knowledge of sheep breeding to increase the technical efficiency level of sheep farms.