Evaluating the technical efficiency and influencing factors of citrus fruits planting in China

By adopting the stochastic frontier analysis model of a beyond logarithmic production function and utilizing panel data for citrus planting operations in seven major citrus-producing provinces and cities in China from 2012 to 2024, the technical efficiency of citrus fruit planting in China was measured, and the influencing factors were analyzed. The results show that:(1) The technical efficiency of citrus planting in the main producing provinces and cities shows an overall trend of growth followed by a slow decline, then slow growth followed by decline, and finally tends to be stable, with an overall average technical efficiency of 0.837. (2) Regional disparities exist in the technical efficiency of citrus planting. The technical efficiency of citrus planting in the eastern region surpasses that of other regions significantly. Since 2018, the average technical efficiency in central and western regions has shown convergent trends. (3) The increase of labor inputs, direct material and service inputs, mainly fertilizers and pesticides, and indirect material and service inputs, mainly depreciation of fixed assets and sales fees, has a positive effect on the output, but under the premise of unchanged labor and capital inputs, citrus outputs will decline with the time. (4) There is an economy of scale effect, but if the scale is too large, the technical efficiency of planting will be reduced instead. Technological progress plays a crucial role in citrus planting, relying solely on the growth of inputs, such as chemical fertilizers, agriculture, and labor, will lead to a loss of efficiency. Increasing the scale of production will help to improve the technical efficiency of citrus production. Citrus planting needs to convert new growth momentum, the key to which is to increase investment in agricultural science and technology innovation, promoting industrial innovation through scientific and technological innovation. It is necessary to improve the monitoring for, and provide of early warning of, natural disasters in agriculture, increase the standardization of citrus orchards, and continuously improve the efficiency of citrus orchard planting and management.