This paper measures the degree of technical efficiency of Greek farms at discrete points in time. Stochastic frontier production functions are estimated from four annual Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) surveys of the 1992-1995 period. From the results, a measure of technical efficiency is calculated for each farm for each year. The four distributions of technical efficiency values are examined and compared. All four samples show a wide range of farm-specific technical efficiency but efficiency is improving over the period. The paper also presents frontier estimates for small and large farms classified according to economic size. In that case, technical efficiency measures are calculated and their distributions are examined and compared. The results show that large farms are more efficient than small farms. However, efficiency is improving in both size farms over the period. In general, the results of this study indicate that there is substantial scope for improving technical efficiency of Greek farms.

The editors draw on a 3-year project that analyzed a Portuguese area in detail, comparing this study with papers from other regions. Applications include the estimation of technical efficiency in agricultural grazing systems (dairy, beef and mixed) and specifically for dairy farms. The conclusions indicate that it is now necessary to help small dairy farms in order to make them more efficient. These results can be compared with the technical efficiency of a sample of Spanish dairy processing firms presented by Magdalena Kapelko and co-authors.

The objective of this paper is to investigate the relative contribution of input use, technological change and technical efficiency to the production growth of the Greek agricultural sector, using a stochastic production frontier method (Battese and Coelli, 1999) to a panel of 608 farms over the 1992/97 period. A translog functional form is used to represent the production frontier and the maximum likelihood estimation technique is employed to estimate the empirical model. The empirical results show, first, that the average technical efficiency of Greek farms is between 55.2% and 59.7% and, second, that the contribution of technological change and technical efficiency on production growth is positive (0.224% and 0.899% respectively), whereas the contribution of input growth is negative (-3.064%). This study indicates that there is substantial scope for increasing production growth through the improvement of technological change and technical efficiency.

Comprehensive, up to date and internationally comparable data on the environmental performance of agriculture in OECD countries.

Published in 1998, the aim of this text is to promote awareness of the evolution of Greek agriculture, as well as of the development of national strategies, in conformity with the Common Agricultural Policy provision - which is important for a successful confrontation of modern and prospective international challenges. It offers a case study developing integrated policies for unemployment, for prevention of diversification of rural areas and for provision of solutions to the problem of increasing competition, while enhancing environmental quality and making rational use of productive resources.