Author : Salsinha, Jose Nelson

Summary : This study aims to find out the influence of utilization of production factors, technical efficiency, allocative efficiency, and the influence of social economic and cultivating technique factors on the technical efficiency rating (TER) and the increase of rice production. This study was conducted during the harvest season of 2004 in the subdistrict of Maliana, Bobonaro district, Timor Leste using a survey method with purposive sampling technique, and the data were taken from 90 farmer respondents with random sampling technique. Analysis of inputs influencing the rice production showed that farm size, amount of seeds, Urea fertilizer, TSP fertilizer, external workers, internal workers from the family and management variable (TER) influence the production since the availability of all these inputs would not resulting in a maximum production without a good management. Allocation efficiency analysis indicated that the allocation of such inputs like pesticide and external workers had been efficient. Meanwhile, the allocation of other inputs, like the cultivation area, seeds, and internal workers of the family, had not been efficient. The allocation of urea fertilizer was not efficient and therefore its use must be reduced. The social and economic factors that had positive influence on the technical efficiency were formal education, farming experience, and the frequency of attending training or coaching; the farmers' age had negative influence. Meanwhile, cultivation technique that had positive influence on technical efficiency was the frequency of fertilizing. The distance between plants and pesticide in use had negative influence.