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Small Ruminant Production System Efficiency under Abu-Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Arid Land Conditions

Author

Listed:
  • Eihab Fathelrahman

    () (Department of Agribusiness and Consumer Sciences, College of Food and Agriculture, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates)

  • Sherin Sherif

    () (Economics and Agribusiness Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, El-Shatby, P.O. Box 21545, Alexandria, Egypt)

  • Dana L. K. Hoag

    () (Department of Agriculture and Natural Resource Economics, College of Agriculture, Colorado State University, B330 Clark Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA)

Abstract

Sheep and goat production systems in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) operate under scarce natural resource constraints. A cross-sectional survey that covered 661 mixed farms, including major sheep and goat production, was conducted in the three regions of Abu Dhabi Emirate (Al-Ain, Western Region and Abu Dhabi city) during 2012. A Cobb-Douglas, double-logarithmic stochastic frontier production function and maximum likelihood estimation were applied to estimate important economic derivatives and the associated risk of small ruminant production in this arid area. The highest impact of an input on the output level was found to be labor for raising sheep and alfalfa grass for raising goats. Both labor and alfalfa variables were found to be overutilized for sheep and goat production, respectively. Overall, the results indicate that average technical efficiency is 0.62 for raising sheep and only 0.34 for raising goats in the study area. Technical efficiency analysis included measuring the frequency of farms at each level of estimated technical efficiency in the range between zero and one. Zero for the technical efficiency coefficient indicates a lack of technical efficiency in resource use. The results of this study indicated that only 1% of the sheep farms show a technical efficiency coefficient of 0.25 or less; the same can be said for 41% of goat producers. However, these technical efficiencies were found to be more than 0.75 for 12% and 5% of the sheep and goat farms, respectively. Overall, goat farming in the UAE was found to be less efficient than sheep production. The results also indicated that flock size and type of breed were the most influential factors relative to other factors, and both show a positive relationship with technical efficiency. Other than flock size, factors, such as owners’ years of experience and management practices, were found to be more influential on goat farming system efficiency relative to sheep farming.

Suggested Citation

  • Eihab Fathelrahman & Sherin Sherif & Dana L. K. Hoag, 2014. "Small Ruminant Production System Efficiency under Abu-Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Arid Land Conditions," Agriculture, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 4(4), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:4:y:2014:i:4:p:288-307:d:43317
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chambers,Robert G., 1988. "Applied Production Analysis," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521314275, April.
    2. Villano, Renato A. & Fleming, Euan M. & Fleming, Pauline, 2008. "Measuring Regional Productivity Differences in the Australian Wool Industry: A Metafrontier Approach," 2008 Conference (52nd), February 5-8, 2008, Canberra, Australia 6036, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
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    6. Suresh, A. & Gupta, D.C. & Mann, J.S., 2008. "Returns and Economic Efficiency of Sheep Farming in Semi-arid Regions: A Study in Rajasthan," Agricultural Economics Research Review, Agricultural Economics Research Association (India), vol. 21(2), December.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    sheep and goats; arid land; technical efficiency; uncertainty; allocative efficiency; stochastic frontier; maximum likelihood; farm system intensity; food security;

    JEL classification:

    • Q1 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture
    • Q10 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - General
    • Q11 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis; Prices
    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • Q13 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Markets and Marketing; Cooperatives; Agribusiness
    • Q14 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Finance
    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
    • Q16 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - R&D; Agricultural Technology; Biofuels; Agricultural Extension Services
    • Q17 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agriculture in International Trade
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy

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