FARM RESTRUCTURING AND EFFICIENCY IN TRANSITION: EVIDENCE FROM BULGARIA AND HUNGARY

Based on survey data on Bulgarian and Hungarian crop and dairy farms, a double-peaked distribution of technical efficiency is observed. Several factors explain differences in efficiency. Human capital matters not only through age and education, but also through gender as farms with a higher share of women are more efficient. Contracting with upstream processors increased efficiency through facilitating the adoption of technology and the access to credits. The superiority of family farms over corporate farms is confirmed for crops but not for dairy.