Analytical economic study to estimate the production functions of the apple crop in Sha’bia (1) Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar - Libya

doi:10.21608/fjard.2009.197047

Analytical economic study to estimate the production functions of the apple crop in Sha’bia (1) Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar - Libya

Document Type : Research articles.

10.21608/fjard.2009.197047

Abstract

The Study aimed to identify the most important factors affecting the
production of apple crop in the green mountain (AL.JABAL-ALKHDAR)
municipality by estimating the economic efficiency of the resources used to measure
the impact of each of the components used in the production of the apple crop, as
the study also aimed to identify the cost of resources used in production process and
the efficient use of them . In addition the study aimed to analysis the most important
problems facing apple crop farmers in the sample research study, and to propose the
most important solutions to overcome them or to (reduce them) . The study was
depended On field data from the study area of apple growers through the year of
2006 in achieving its goals .
The field study indicated that the most important productive inputs affecting
the production of apple crop were the quantity of fertilizer, the quantity of
pesticides, irrigation water quantity, the number of labor employed and experience of
farmers in growing the crop, and results of the study showed also that the elasticities
of production which is derived from production functions of farms that their area
(size) is from four hectares to eight hectares (second acquirement category) and
derived from farms that their area (size) is more than eight hectares (third
acquirement category) are describing the relation of decreasing returns to scale, while
the elasticities of production of (first acquirement category) farms with an area is less
than four hectares and of the total study sample (105 farms) showed the relation of
increasing returns to scale . The elasticities of production were equals to about (1.16,
0.73, 0.70, 1.10) for first, second, third category, and for total study sample
respectively. It also noted that the production of apple faced a series of problems and
obstacles that were identified through the questionnaire of the research study , which
are the lack of markets for production, disposal lack of irrigation water, increase of
the price of raw materials such as fertilizers and pesticides, lack of manpower
specializing in technical operations and finally reduced price of Selling the crop < br />especially during harvest season .