Comparison of Smallholder Large Ruminant Farmers Using Improved and Unimproved Pastures: A Socioeconomic and Efficiency Perspective

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Abstract
This study compares smallholder large ruminant farmers utilising both improved and unimproved pastures in terms of their socioeconomic characteristics and efficiency indicators. Data were collected by a survey involving 105 farms utilising improved pastures and 116 farms using unimproved pastures, determined by stratified sampling. Scores for technical, allocative, and economic efficiency were obtained by input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The findings indicate that improved-pasture users had higher mean technical efficiency (0.89) than unimproved-pasture users (0.74), while mean economic efficiency was 0.76 and 0.61, respectively. Farming income, number of animals, participation in village administration, membership in farmers’ organizations, and difficulties in credit repayment were statistically associated with pasture-utilisation status. Because the cross-sectional design does not establish temporal ordering or control fully for pre-existing differences between the groups, these results should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects of pasture improvement. The findings support monitoring grazing capacity, producer participation, economic outcomes, and ecological indicators in future evaluations.

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