Sources of Agricultural Productivity Differences between Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria using DEA

Introduction

A few previous studies looked closely at agricultural productivity in the four countries mentioned in Table 1. Belhaj Hassine and Kandil (2009) discuss the link between trade openness, agricultural productivity growth and poverty reduction in some Mediterranean countries including Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Their results show positive effects of trade openness on farming efficiency and productivity. Another recent study shows that these four countries can be both innovative and efficient and Jordan and Lebanon had the highest Agricultural TFP growth, 4.2 percent (3 percent growth in efficiency and 1.2 percent growth in technical change) and 3.4 percent respectively (Belloumi & Matoussi, 2009). During the 1980s, Syria had a negative 3 percent TFP which pushed the government to adopt more liberal agricultural sector policies and at the end of the 1990s Syria became a net exporter of many agricultural products (Belloumi & Matoussi, 2009). Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that the Israeli 1.6 percent average growth in TFP was due to a 1.3 percent growth in technical change (TC) and 0.3 percent growth in efficiency change.

* Monthly statistical Bulletin, ministry of agriculture, ministry of Labor, statistical yearbook, National Account Studies of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission of Western Asia region and other individual sources from studies. ^a Cobb-Douglas ^b Data Envelopment Analysis ^c Translog ^d United States Department of Agriculture ^e World Development Indicators.