Technical efficiency of freshwater aquaculture farms in the Union Territory of Puducherry : frontier production function approach

Abstract

Carp culture is a promising enterprise in the Union Territory of Puducherry. A survey of carp farms in Puducherry and Karaikal districts revealed yield gap of 56% between average yield and maximum yield obtained among the sample farms. The net returns realised were ` 31,485 acre-1. Functional analysis indicated that feed had a positive and statistically significant influence on carp yield. Frontier analysis revealed that the mean technical efficiency of carp farms was 61%. The study suggests provision of cheaper feed and effective technology transfer to enhance adoption of recommended inputs and bridge the gap between maximum farm yield and actual farm yield of carp farms in the region.