Survey on Convergence in Growth of Total Factor Production in Agricultural Sector of Iran: A Case Study of Corn Farming

Productivity growth is a factor in the continuous growth of each country's national economy. This paper includes survey of convergence of total factor production (TFP) in 9 provinces which is selected from all categories of corn producers in a way that present all the country. This study is done in a 7 years period from 2001 to 2007. We used a nonparametric method, data envelopment analysis, for measuring growth of productivity of TFP. Required data is collected from databases of Agricultural Ministry. Results revealed that average annual growth of TFP in corn farming of Iran in the total period 2001-2007 is negative (4.5 percentages). It changes in different provinces, as highest value belonged to Fars province whit 18.5% per year and was negative for provinces of Khuzestan, Qazvin, Kerman and Kermanshah. Convergence tests indicated that however in short time period growth of total factor of production varies in different provinces, but in long term this trend in all of areas is Convergent.