Technical Efficiency, Small Pond Fishery and Sustainability: Evidence from a Stochastic Frontier Regression Approach with Reference to West Bengal, India

Abstract

The study is undertaken to examine the technical efficiency (TE) of small pond fishery using the stochastic frontier model in the northern region of the state of West Bengal in India. The 65 samples were collected through field surveys in Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur districts for three months (i.e. from May to June) in the year 2022. The stochastic frontier model estimation indicates that boosting investment in labour, organic fertilizers, fish fingerlings and land area has the potential to enhance returns in fish production. The findings demonstrate that TE spans between 83 and 100 per cent, averaging at 94 per cent. This suggests that, on average, fish farmers in the examined region are operating slightly below the highest achievable production level, falling short by approximately 6 per cent, which raises concerns about sustainability. The study recommends that the use of labour and organic fertilizers (i.e. cow dung) should be made available to transform traditional rearing practices into more productive scientific methods. Also, the land area should be extended and more fish fingerling should be used to increase the production of fish in the study area.

Citation

Agarwalla, K. and Chatterjee, T. (2024), "Technical Efficiency, Small Pond Fishery and Sustainability: Evidence from a Stochastic Frontier Regression Approach with Reference to West Bengal, India", Das, R.C. (Ed.) Sustainable Agricultural Practices: Economic and Environmental Implications, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 223-236. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83608-336-820241015