Estimation of cost efficiency of fattening pigs, sows, and piglets using SFA approach analysis: Evidence from China

PLoS One. 2021 Dec 13;16(12):e0261240. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261240. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

The hog industry is the core industry in the field of agriculture and animal husbandry in China, which development is related to the improvement of people's quality of life. The production of the hog industry has been restricted by environmental regulations, which needs to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Based on the data of 29 provinces from 2008 to 2019, this paper aims to use the stochastic frontier analysis method to calculate the cost efficiency of fattening pigs, sows, and piglets in three stages of pig production and focuses on the impact of environmental regulation policies on cost efficiency. The study found that the cost efficiency of fattening pigs, sows, and piglets in China were 0.77, 0.79, and 0.53, respectively, and the efficiency losses were 23%, 21%, and 47%, respectively. The impact of environmental regulation policies on the cost efficiency of fattening pigs showed an ' N ' trend, and the impact on the cost efficiency of sows and piglets showed an inverted ' N ' trend. For fattening pigs, increasing the intensity of environmental regulation, and exceeding the second inflection point of the ' N ' curve can achieve the dual goals of environmental governance and cost reduction and efficiency increase. For sows, reducing the intensity of environmental regulation appropriately can avoid cost-efficiency loss. For piglets, environmental regulation policies have not effectively incentives the cost efficiency of piglets. In addition, raising the level of technology investment in fattening pigs and sows can achieve cost efficiency gains, and can farmers use emerging financial product tools such as ' insurance + futures ' to avoid market risks and efficiency losses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animal Feed / economics*
  • Animal Husbandry / economics
  • Animal Husbandry / methods*
  • Animals
  • China
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis / methods
  • Environmental Policy
  • Feeding Behavior / physiology
  • Swine / growth & development*

Grants and funding

This research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant numbers 71673273); the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province China (grant number LH2019G002); and the Humanities and Social Science Foundation of Ministry of education of China (grant number 21YJA790053). The funders had no role in study design, data collection, and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.