Technical Efficiency of Cabbage Production in Southern Shan State of Myanmar by Controlling for Weather Factors: A Stochastic Frontier Production Approach

Abstract

Incorporating relevant weather conditions is vital for an accurate understanding of crop yields and production efficiency, however many studies examined the technical efficiency of cabbage production without considering weather factors. This study examined the effect of weather conditions on the technical efficiency and productivity of cabbage production in Southern Shan State, Myanmar—a key vegetable-growing region that is becoming more susceptible to extreme weatherevents like Typhoon Yagi in September 2024. The Stochastic Frontier Production (SFP) function was conducted to estimate the productivity and technical efficiency under two distinct scenarios: with and without controlling for weather variables (maximum temperature during the vegetative stage, and rainfall during head formation and harvesting stages) using cross-sectional data from 150 cabbage farmers collected during the 2024 monsoon season. The results revealed that farmers’ mean technical efficiency was 86.4% when weather factors were considered, slightly higher than the 85.1% without them, suggesting that omitting weather conditions overstated production inefficiency. Cabbage productivity can be improved by 15.74% with full efficiency improvement under existing input usages and technology. Key positive drivers of overall productivity were Farmyard Manure (FYM) and fungicide use, whereas the overapplication of chemical fertilizers had a detrimental effect, particularly under unfavourable weather conditions. Furthermore, farmers’ education, farming experience and the adoption of weather resistant varieties and adjusting sowing dates were identified as significant contributors to reducing inefficiency. To ensure the long-term sustainability of cabbage farming in the study areas, key initiatives should include implementing policies promoting organic fertilizers (FYM), integrated with providing farmers personalized nutrient management plans and technical trainings to optimize fertilizer use and reduce chemical dependency, encouraging the adoption of effective and location-specific adaptation strategies.