Technical Efficiency and the Factors Determining it in Ahar County's Wheat Farms

Self-sufficiency in wheat production as a strategic product has always been a focal point for governments. Achieving this important goal depends on optimizing farm management, including efficient utilization of existing facilities and increasing the efficiency of production units. The present study aimed to calculate the technical efficiency of irrigated wheat farms and the factors influencing it in Ahar county. The necessary data for the study was collected from ۱۱۹ production units. The results obtained from the selection and estimating of the translog production function showed that seed, labor, land, and water have significant effects on the wheat production process. The research findings suggest that the average technical efficiency of wheat farmers in the region is approximately ۷۷%. Therefore, farmers can improve their production by ۲۳% by utilizing available resources and increasing efficiency. Factors such as education level, crop insurance, seed supply, and wheat farming experience have an impact on farmers' level of technical inefficiency. Specifically, higher education, insuring the crop, and using certified seeds contribute to a reduction in inefficiency. On the other hand, wheat farming experience leads to an increase in inefficiency.