Fronteira de produção e eficiência econômica na cultura da soja no Mato Grosso do Sul

Abstract

This pieceofwork has sought to evaluating the economical efficiency in the use ofproductiveresources in the soybean productionin the state ofMato Grosso do Sul. Besides, it also aimedat characterizing the soybean production, estimating the production frontier functions and identifying the economical efficiency of the use ofproduction factors by the producers ofsoybean in the área ofstudy. The paper comprises the main soybean producing towns in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, starting off from primaiy data gathered directíy from the producers through surveys which featured structured and semi-structured questions. Criteria for charactenzation of producers were total of land possession, total área groups and producing áreas. Economical efficiency was estimated through a production frontier füncüon in a sample of 151 soybean producers. The economical exploitation ofsoybean cultures in Mato Grosso do Sul is developed by producers who practicea technifiedkind ofagriculture, with an entrepreneurs eye. As for land possession and use, most of the producers belong to the land-lessor type, the renters being minority. The renters reached the highest production leveis, followed by the owners. The lessors were not as efficient. Taking the efficiency frontier settled for this study into consideration, ali soybean producers proved to be partry inefficient when evaluated for área size, economicalry speaking. Nevertheless, the results fared indicate a high degree of similarity among producers, as they feature common characteristics such as region, labor, technology, among others. When evaluated as for the region, the upstate producers proved to be operating close to the efficiency frontier settled, signaling a more favorable trend for the relocation ofresources and, thus, reaching efficiency. The average economical efficiency index reached by the soybean producers in the state ofMato Grosso do Sul was 80.28%. Such index indicates that a tendency to gains in productivity and/or production cost reductions can be obtained through a better economical performance by the producers, which may lead them to operating on the production frontier line. In a general sense, it was expected that the soybean producers ofMato Grosso do Sul operated on the efficiency frontier settled for this study. The results fared, however, indicate that the producers are not able to potentially exploit the technology available andconsequentlv obtain bettereconomical results, due to the presence ofsomeeconomical inefficiency inthe production process.