Productivity and efficiency of sugarcane production in Northern Thailand
2009
Wiboonpongse, A. | Chaovanapoonphol, Y. | Ngamsamke, K. | Nokpung, P.
Sugarcane, one of the major export crops has recently received great attention as an important bio-energy. Since demand for cane increases as to meet sugar and ethanol demand, the rise in total production of cane is expected from higher productivity rather than expansion of cultivated land. This paper aims at investigating yield of sugarcane in response to fertilizer, technical efficiency and factors determining efficiency levels. Production data of crop year 2004/05 were collected from interviewing 98 sugarcane growers in Sukhothai Province, the major cane producing area of Northern Thailand. The yield of cane was nonlinearly responsive to nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P). The average efficiency at 87% indicates substantial room for efficiency improvement. Whilst production size caused diseconomy and thus reduced efficiency, use of farm machinery, education and experience levels boosted efficiency significantly.
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