An analysis of technical efficiency of Snake-head fish aquaculture in Ang Thong Province

Abstract

Ang Thong Province is one of the areas where government supports snake-head fish farming but it found that Ang Thong farmers have been faced with the high cost of production and encountered the problem with low cost of price. The objectives of this study were to 1) study the pattern of snake-head fish aquaculture and 2) determine the technical efficiency of Snake-head fish farm in Ang Thong Province. The 18 sample sizes were selected by purposive sampling and interviewed with a questionnaire. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method was theoretically used to analyze technical efficiency. The results showed that average efficiency scores based on the assumed constant return to scale (CRS) and variable return to scale (VRS) were 0.862 and 0.960, respectively. The analysis of scale efficiency (SE) showed that nine farmers (50.00 percent of farmers) were appropriate production scale and nine farmers (50.00 percent of farmers) were too small in production scale. Therefore, farmers should reduce the input factors that could affect the technical efficiency. The factors that should be considered the most are labor, land, and stocking density.