Technical efficiency of Kappaphycus alvarezii farming in Wagina, Choiseul Province (the Solomon Islands)

IF 2.2 3区农林科学 Q2 FISHERIES

Aquaculture International Pub Date : 2025-04-24 DOI:10.1007/s10499-025-01965-2

James Ngwaerobo, Thanh Viet Nguyen, Rannveig Bjornsdottir

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Abstract

The red algae species Kappaphycus alvarezii holds significant potential to evolve into a multimillion-dollar industry in the Solomon Islands. However, production levels have remained stagnant over the past decade. This study hypothesizes that technical inefficiencies at the farm level are a major factor limiting the industry's growth. Specifically, we examined the relationships between farm characteristics, resource use, and production efficiency in Wagina, an island with high cultivation potential. We selected 78 farmers for the survey via a structured questionnaire. Technical efficiency (TE) was assessed using Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) conducted in R software. Results revealed mean TE values of 0.362 for small-scale and 0.535 for medium-scale production systems, suggesting substantial inefficiencies in resource utilization. Notably, the number of plots, the number of lines, and seed density per line were positively associated with TE, while education level and farmers’ age were negatively correlated. The results suggest that improving farm structures and optimizing resource allocation could enhance production efficiency. Addressing the factors that negatively influence TE may help unlock the industry’s full potential.

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索瓦瑟尔省瓦吉纳（所罗门群岛）阿尔瓦雷斯Kappaphycus alvarezii养殖技术效率

红藻品种Kappaphycus alvarezii具有巨大的潜力，可以在所罗门群岛发展成一个价值数百万美元的产业。然而，在过去十年中，生产水平一直停滞不前。本研究假设农场层面的技术效率低下是限制该行业增长的主要因素。具体而言，我们研究了具有高种植潜力的瓦吉纳岛的农场特征、资源利用和生产效率之间的关系。我们选取了78位农民进行结构化问卷调查。技术效率（TE）采用R软件进行随机前沿分析（SFA）。结果显示，小规模生产系统的平均TE值为0.362，中等规模生产系统的平均TE值为0.535，表明资源利用效率低下。田块数、品系数和单株种子密度与TE呈显著正相关，教育程度和农民年龄呈显著负相关。结果表明，优化农业结构和资源配置可以提高生产效率。解决对TE产生负面影响的因素可能有助于释放该行业的全部潜力。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Aquaculture International 农林科学-渔业

CiteScore

5.10

自引率

6.90%

发文量

204

审稿时长

1.0 months

期刊介绍： Aquaculture International is an international journal publishing original research papers, short communications, technical notes and review papers on all aspects of aquaculture. The Journal covers topics such as the biology, physiology, pathology and genetics of cultured fish, crustaceans, molluscs and plants, especially new species; water quality of supply systems, fluctuations in water quality within farms and the environmental impacts of aquacultural operations; nutrition, feeding and stocking practices, especially as they affect the health and growth rates of cultured species; sustainable production techniques; bioengineering studies on the design and management of offshore and land-based systems; the improvement of quality and marketing of farmed products; sociological and societal impacts of aquaculture, and more. This is the official Journal of the European Aquaculture Society.