Efficiency Determination of Apiculture Units Using a Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) Method in Lorestan Province (Case Study of Khorramabad City)

This study was conducted to evaluate the production conditions of beekeeping units and determine the efficiency of the units, estimating the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) of the apiaries in Khorramabad city and evaluating the management and honey production function of these units. This study was carried out in 116 farmsteads in Khorramabad city during 2017. The data collection method was face to face interviews and questionnaires. Data on production functions were estimated by Cobb Douglas functions and technical efficiency by Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) method. The results showed that per capita honey production per hive in Khorramabad city was 8.23 kg. In terms of the cost of inputs were in beekeeping, the cost of renting a garden and ranch 16.28%, the work and keeping of bees 15.05%, of sugar 24.92%, the migration 22.07%, the cost of buying wax 17.52%, the cost of medicine and treatment 1.19% and miscellaneous expenses 2.97%, respectively. The average technical, allocative and economic efficiency was 62.1, 57.7 and 54.6%, respectively, that indicating significant potential of the units in increasing their efficiencies. The results of honey production function showed that the number of migrations per year and the amount of consuming sugar in the apiaries with the coefficients (0.347 and 0.322) had the highest effect on honey production (P<0.01). The results showed that most apiaries in Khorramabad city due to lack of observance of economic principles in management, lack of knowledge of the factors affecting the production had low efficiency. Among beneficiaries of the three technical efficiency, allocative and economic efficiency were for economic efficiency major difference. Generally, in order to develop the beekeeping industry in further, the implementation of the honey guaranteed rate, the relative stability of sugar price, the creation of more security at the colony's premises, the availability of more bank credits, the formation of beekeepers guild, the creation of domestic markets and exports for beekeepers and production insurance is needed.