Onion Total Factor Productivity in Iran

This study was conducted to analyze the total factor productivity in onion production of nine major provinces using Malmquist index. The results indicated that, the country wide productivity decreased about 9.6 % during the study period. The amount of reduction was not the same in different regions and provinces. It was in East Azerbaijan (0.07), Esfahan (0.06), Sistan and Baluchestan (0.04) and Fars (0.06) lower and in the district of southern Kerman (0.13), Khorasan (0.1), Khuzestan (0.12), Zanjan (0.14) and Hormozgan (0.14) had been greater. Among the provinces studied, the greatest improvements in technical efficiency belonged to the farmer of Efahan province and the onion growers of Sistan & Baluchestan province had experienced the least decline in technology, so it is a necessity to introduce new methods and uses other regions successful results to increase the share of productivity in onion production growth.