IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i4p1830-d495610.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Technical Efficiency in the European Dairy Industry: Can We Observe Systematic Failures in the Efficiency of Input Use?

Author

Listed:
  • Lukáš Čechura

    (Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic)

  • Zdeňka Žáková Kroupová

    (Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, 16500 Prague, Czech Republic)

Abstract

The paper provides findings on the technical efficiency of the European dairy processing industry, which is one of the most important subsectors of the food processing industry in the European Union (EU). The ability to efficiently use inputs in the production of outputs is a prerequisite for the sustainability and competitiveness of the agri-food sector as well as for food security. Thus, the aim of this paper is to provide a robust estimate of technical efficiency by employing new advances in productivity and efficiency analysis, and to investigate the efficiency of input use in 10 selected European countries. The analysis is based on two-stage stochastic frontier modelling incorporating country-specific input distance function (IDF) estimates and a meta-frontier input distance function estimate, both in specification of the four-component model, which currently represents the most advanced approach to technical efficiency analysis. To provide a robust estimate of these models, the paper employs methods that control for the potential endogeneity of netputs in the multi-step estimation procedure. The results, based on the Amadeus dataset, reveal that companies manufacturing dairy products greatly exploited their production possibilities in 2006–2018. The dairy processing industry in the analysed countries cannot generally be characterized by a considerable waste of resources. The potential cost reduction is estimated at 4–8%, evaluated on the country samples mean. The overall technical inefficiency (OTE) is mainly a result of short-term shocks and unsystematic failures. However, the meta-frontier estimates also reveal a certain degree of systematic failure, e.g., permanent managerial failures and structural problems in European dairy processing industry.

Suggested Citation

  • Lukáš Čechura & Zdeňka Žáková Kroupová, 2021. "Technical Efficiency in the European Dairy Industry: Can We Observe Systematic Failures in the Efficiency of Input Use?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-19, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:4:p:1830-:d:495610
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/4/1830/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/4/1830/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hansen, Lars Peter, 1982. "Large Sample Properties of Generalized Method of Moments Estimators," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(4), pages 1029-1054, July.
    2. Massimo Filippini & William Greene, 2016. "Persistent and transient productive inefficiency: a maximum simulated likelihood approach," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 187-196, April.
    3. Baumol, William J, 1982. "Contestable Markets: An Uprising in the Theory of Industry Structure," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(1), pages 1-15, March.
    4. Fried, Harold O. & Lovell, C. A. Knox & Schmidt, Shelton S. (ed.), 2008. "The Measurement of Productive Efficiency and Productivity Growth," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195183528.
    5. Raushan Bokusheva & Lukáš Čechura, 2017. "Evaluating dynamics, sources and drivers of productivity growth at the farm level," OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers 106, OECD Publishing.
    6. Diewert, Walter E & Wales, Terence J, 1987. "Flexible Functional Forms and Global Curvature Conditions," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 55(1), pages 43-68, January.
    7. Lukas Cechura & Aaron Grau & Heinrich Hockmann & Inna Levkovych & Zdenka Kroupova, 2017. "Catching Up or Falling Behind in European Agriculture: The Case of Milk Production," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(1), pages 206-227, February.
    8. Magdalena Kapelko & Alfons Oude Lansink & Spiro E. Stefanou, 2017. "The impact of the 2008 financial crisis on dynamic productivity growth of the Spanish food manufacturing industry. An impulse response analysis," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 48(5), pages 561-571, September.
    9. Špička, Jindřich, 2015. "The Efficiency Improvement of Central European Corporate Milk Processors in 2008 - 2013," AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Economics and Management, vol. 7(4), pages 1-14, December.
    10. Meeusen, Wim & van den Broeck, Julien, 1977. "Efficiency Estimation from Cobb-Douglas Production Functions with Composed Error," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 18(2), pages 435-444, June.
    11. Dimara, Efthalia & Skuras, Dimitris & Tsekouras, Kostas & Tzelepis, Dimitris, 2008. "Productive efficiency and firm exit in the food sector," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 185-196, April.
    12. Setiawan, Maman & Emvalomatis, Grigorios & Oude Lansink, Alfons, 2012. "The relationship between technical efficiency and industrial concentration: Evidence from the Indonesian food and beverages industry," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 466-475.
    13. Rashidghalam, Masoomeh & Heshmati, Almas & Dashti, Ghader & Pishbahar, Esmail, 2016. "A Comparison of Panel Data Models in estimating Technical Efficiency," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 433, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    14. David Roodman, 2009. "How to do xtabond2: An introduction to difference and system GMM in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 9(1), pages 86-136, March.
    15. Kapelko, Magdalena & Oude Lansink, Alfons, 2017. "Dynamic multi-directional inefficiency analysis of European dairy manufacturing firms," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 257(1), pages 338-344.
    16. Subal Kumbhakar & Gudbrand Lien & J. Hardaker, 2014. "Technical efficiency in competing panel data models: a study of Norwegian grain farming," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 321-337, April.
    17. Caves, Douglas W & Christensen, Laurits R & Diewert, W Erwin, 1982. "The Economic Theory of Index Numbers and the Measurement of Input, Output, and Productivity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 50(6), pages 1393-1414, November.
    18. Subal C. Kumbhakar & Gudbrand Lien, 2017. "Yardstick Regulation of Electricity Distribution Disentangling Short-run and Long-run Inefficiencies," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 5).
    19. Tamara Rudinskaya & Elena Kuzmenko, 2019. "Investments, Technical Change and Efficiency: Empirical Evidence from Czech Food Processing," AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Economics and Management, vol. 11(4), December.
    20. Subal C. Kumbhakar & Gudbrand Lien & Ola Flaten & Ragnar Tveterås, 2008. "Impacts of Norwegian Milk Quotas on Output Growth: A Modified Distance Function Approach," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(2), pages 350-369, June.
    21. Kumbhakar,Subal C. & Wang,Hung-Jen & Horncastle,Alan P., 2015. "A Practitioner's Guide to Stochastic Frontier Analysis Using Stata," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107609464.
    22. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July.
    23. Greene, William, 2005. "Reconsidering heterogeneity in panel data estimators of the stochastic frontier model," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 126(2), pages 269-303, June.
    24. Bartolucci, Francesco & Belotti, Federico & Peracchi, Franco, 2015. "Testing for time-invariant unobserved heterogeneity in generalized linear models for panel data," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 184(1), pages 111-123.
    25. Giannis Karagiannis & Peter Midmore & Vangelis Tzouvelekas, 2004. "Parametric Decomposition of Output Growth Using A Stochastic Input Distance Function," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 86(4), pages 1044-1057.
    26. Magdalena Kapelko & Alfons Oude Lansink & Spiro E Stefanou, 2015. "Effect of Food Regulation on the Spanish Food Processing Industry: A Dynamic Productivity Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-16, June.
    27. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    28. Allendorf, Joseph & Hirsch, Stefan, 2015. "Dynamic Productivity Growth In The European Food Processing Industry," 55th Annual Conference, Giessen, Germany, September 23-25, 2015 209205, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    29. Lukáš Čechura & Heinrich Hockmann, 2017. "Heterogeneity in Production Structures and Efficiency: An Analysis of the Czech Food Processing Industry," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(4), pages 702-719, October.
    30. Alphonse Singbo & Bruno Larue, 2016. "Scale Economies, Technical Efficiency, and the Sources of Total Factor Productivity Growth of Quebec Dairy Farms," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 64(2), pages 339-363, June.
    31. Badunenko, Oleg & Kumbhakar, Subal C., 2016. "When, where and how to estimate persistent and transient efficiency in stochastic frontier panel data models," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 255(1), pages 272-287.
    32. Efthymios G. Tsionas & Subal C. Kumbhakar, 2014. "FIRM HETEROGENEITY, PERSISTENT AND TRANSIENT TECHNICAL INEFFICIENCY: A GENERALIZED TRUE RANDOM‐EFFECTS model," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(1), pages 110-132, January.
    33. Mundlak, Yair, 1978. "On the Pooling of Time Series and Cross Section Data," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 46(1), pages 69-85, January.
    34. Timothy J. Coelli & D.S. Prasada Rao & Christopher J. O’Donnell & George E. Battese, 2005. "An Introduction to Efficiency and Productivity Analysis," Springer Books, Springer, edition 0, number 978-0-387-25895-9, September.
    35. Eric Njuki & Boris E. Bravo-Ureta, 2015. "The Economic Costs of Environmental Regulation in U.S. Dairy Farming: A Directional Distance Function Approach," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 97(4), pages 1087-1106.
    36. Manuel Arellano & Stephen Bond, 1991. "Some Tests of Specification for Panel Data: Monte Carlo Evidence and an Application to Employment Equations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 277-297.
    37. Magdalena Kapelko, 2019. "Measuring productivity change accounting for adjustment costs: evidence from the food industry in the European Union," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 278(1), pages 215-234, July.
    38. Aigner, Dennis & Lovell, C. A. Knox & Schmidt, Peter, 1977. "Formulation and estimation of stochastic frontier production function models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 21-37, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Maria Zuba-Ciszewska & Aleksandra Kowalska & Aneta Brodziak & Louise Manning, 2023. "Organic Milk Production Sector in Poland: Driving the Potential to Meet Future Market, Societal and Environmental Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-21, June.
    2. Rajeev Bhat & Jorgelina Di Pasquale & Ferenc Istvan Bánkuti & Tiago Teixeira da Silva Siqueira & Philip Shine & Michael D. Murphy, 2022. "Global Dairy Sector: Trends, Prospects, and Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-7, April.
    3. McGarraghy, Seán & Olafsdottir, Gudrun & Kazakov, Rossen & Huber, Élise & Loveluck, William & Gudbrandsdottir, Ingunn Y. & Čechura, Lukáš & Esposito, Gianandrea & Samoggia, Antonella & Aubert, Pierre-, 2022. "Conceptual system dynamics and agent-based modelling simulation of interorganisational fairness in food value chains: Research agenda and case studies," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 12(2).
    4. Katarzyna Ziętek-Kwaśniewska & Maria Zuba-Ciszewska & Joanna Nucińska, 2022. "Technical Efficiency of Cooperative and Non-Cooperative Dairies in Poland: Toward the First Link of the Supply Chain," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, January.
    5. Lukáš Čechura & Zdeňka Žáková Kroupová & Antonella Samoggia, 2021. "Drivers of Productivity Change in the Italian Tomato Food Value Chain," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-17, October.
    6. Kingdom Simfukwe & Moses Majid Limuwa & Friday Njaya, 2022. "Are Chilimira Fishers of Engraulicypris sardella ( Günther , 1868) in Lake Malawi Productive? The Case of Nkhotakota District," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-19, November.
    7. Seán McGarraghy & Gudrun Olafsdottir & Rossen Kazakov & Élise Huber & William Loveluck & Ingunn Y. Gudbrandsdottir & Lukáš Čechura & Gianandrea Esposito & Antonella Samoggia & Pierre-Marie Aubert & Da, 2022. "Conceptual System Dynamics and Agent-Based Modelling Simulation of Interorganisational Fairness in Food Value Chains: Research Agenda and Case Studies," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-30, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lukáš Čechura & Zdeňka Žáková Kroupová & Irena Benešová, 2021. "Productivity and Efficiency in European Milk Production: Can We Observe the Effects of Abolishing Milk Quotas?," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-21, August.
    2. Lukáš Čechura & Zdeňka Žáková Kroupová & Antonella Samoggia, 2021. "Drivers of Productivity Change in the Italian Tomato Food Value Chain," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-17, October.
    3. Gralka, Sabine, 2018. "Stochastic frontier analysis in higher education: A systematic review," CEPIE Working Papers 05/18, Technische Universität Dresden, Center of Public and International Economics (CEPIE).
    4. Pontus Mattsson & Jonas Mansson & William H. Greene, 2018. "TFP Change and its Components for Swedish Manufacturing Firms During the 2008-2009 Financial Crisis," Working Papers 18-27, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics.
    5. Pontus Mattsson & Jonas Månsson & William H. Greene, 2020. "TFP change and its components for Swedish manufacturing firms during the 2008–2009 financial crisis," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 53(1), pages 79-93, February.
    6. Ali M. Oumer & Amin Mugera & Michael Burton & Atakelty Hailu, 2022. "Technical efficiency and firm heterogeneity in stochastic frontier models: application to smallholder maize farms in Ethiopia," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 213-241, April.
    7. Emilie Caldeira & Alou Adessé Dama & Ali Compaoré & Mario Mansour & Grégoire Rota-Graziosi, 2020. "Tax effort in Sub-Saharan African countries : evidence from a new dataset," Working Papers hal-02543162, HAL.
    8. Émilie Caldeira & Ali Compaore & Alou Adessé Dama & Mario Mansour & Grégoire Rota-Graziosi, 2019. "Effort fiscal en Afrique subsaharienne : les résultats d’une nouvelle base de données," Revue d’économie du développement, De Boeck Université, vol. 27(4), pages 5-51.
    9. Huynh, Linh & Hoang, Hien, 2021. "Technical Efficiency and Total Factor Productivity Changes in Manufacturing Industries: Recent Advancements in Stochastic Frontier Model Approach," MPRA Paper 117621, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2022.
    10. Bansal, Pooja & Kumar, Sunil & Mehra, Aparna & Gulati, Rachita, 2022. "Developing two dynamic Malmquist-Luenberger productivity indices: An illustrated application for assessing productivity performance of Indian banks," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    11. Raushan Bokusheva & Lukáš Čechura & Subal C. Kumbhakar, 2023. "Estimating persistent and transient technical efficiency and their determinants in the presence of heterogeneity and endogeneity," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(2), pages 450-472, June.
    12. Magambo, Isaiah & Dikgang, Johane & Gelo, Dambala & Tregenna, Fiona, 2021. "Environmental and Technical Efficiency in Large Gold Mines in Developing Countries," MPRA Paper 108068, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Alem, Habtamu, 2020. "Performance of the Norwegian dairy farms: A dynamic stochastic approach," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(3), pages 263-271.
    14. Boris E. Bravo‐Ureta & Víctor H. Moreira & Javier L. Troncoso & Alan Wall, 2020. "Plot‐level technical efficiency accounting for farm‐level effects: Evidence from Chilean wine grape producers," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(6), pages 811-824, November.
    15. Berisso Oumer & Heshmati Almas, 2020. "Farm-heterogeneity and persistent and transient productive efficiencies in Ethiopia’s smallholder cereal farming," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-23, January.
    16. Martini, Gianmaria & Scotti, Davide & Viola, Domenico & Vittadini, Giorgio, 2020. "Persistent and temporary inefficiency in airport cost function: An application to Italy," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 999-1019.
    17. Karanki, Fecri & Lim, Siew Hoon, 2021. "Airport use agreements and cost efficiency of U.S. airports," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 68-77.
    18. Roberto Colombi & Gianmaria Martini & Giorgio Vittadini, 2017. "Determinants of transient and persistent hospital efficiency: The case of Italy," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(S2), pages 5-22, September.
    19. Jean Joseph Minviel & Timo Sipiläinen, 2021. "A dynamic stochastic frontier approach with persistent and transient inefficiency and unobserved heterogeneity," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(4), pages 575-589, July.
    20. Daniel Albalate & Jordi Rosell, 2016. "Persistent and transient efficiency on the stochastic production and cost frontiers – an application to the motorway sector," Working Papers XREAP2016-04, Xarxa de Referència en Economia Aplicada (XREAP), revised Oct 2016.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:4:p:1830-:d:495610. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.