Accordingly, the present study aims to measure environmental efficiency and analyze the factors influencing the economic loss of canola production in rural areas of Tabriz County.
Materials and Methods: For this purpose, the required data and information were collected through a survey of 150 canola farmers in Tabriz County during the 2022–2023 cropping season. In this study, the environmental efficiency of farms was determined by estimating the stochastic frontier translog production function. Subsequently, the economic loss associated with the use of environmentally detrimental inputs, such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers, was calculated.
Results and discussion: The results of the estimated stochastic frontier translog function indicated that production factors, including seed, labor, water, pesticides and fertilizers, significantly influenced canola output. The average environmental efficiency of canola farms was estimated at 58.12%, suggesting considerable potential for reducing fertilizer and pesticide use and improving environmental efficiency in the region. Based on the results, 63.49% of farms exhibited efficiency levels above 80%, indicating that a significant proportion of farms efficiently and optimally utilized production inputs. Furthermore, the findings revealed that inefficient onion production per hectare resulted in an economic loss of 131,992 thousand rials for the region. According to the results, factors such as age, cultivation, the number of land plots and education significantly affected economic loss.
Suggestion: Therefore, it is essential to expand specialized training programs for farmers on optimizing input use, particularly chemical fertilizers and pesticides, with a focus on sustainable agricultural principles and resource efficiency. Additionally, the promotion and adoption of modern agricultural technologies should be prioritized as a strategy for enhancing environmental efficiency and mitigating negative impacts. In this regard, the development of support programs, such as insurance facilities and the strengthening of technical and managerial infrastructure, can play a crucial role in improving production sustainability and reducing economic losses in the agricultural sector of rural areas.