Economic Efficiency of the Organic Wheat Farming Program in Iraq for Season of 2024-2025

• Diana M. Kaleel 1* Zuhal R. Kadhim 2 Mohammed J. Ali3

  Author

Study aimed to measure the technical and allocative efficiency, leading to overall economic efficiency of farmers who adopted organic for wheat production in Iraq, using a targeted sample of 78 wheat farms for the 2024–2025 season. The analysis was conducted using the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA). The sample included farms from Baghdad, Salah al-Din, Mosul, Kirkuk, Anbar, Babil, Wasit, Diwaniyah, and Karbala within the framework of the organic farming program supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture. Results showed that the average technical efficiency for farmers using organic fertilisers (33 farms) was 68%, whereas it was 87% for farmers using biopesticides (45 farms). These findings suggest that farmers could increase production by 32% and 13%, respectively, without any additional economic burden. The study indicated that adopting organic inputs does not automatically lead to maximum efficiency for all farmers, as differences in their ability to manage inputs persist. The average allocative efficiency for users of organic fertilisers and biopesticides was 30% and 24%, respectively. It Farmers could reduce their production costs by 70% and 76% without altering current output levels. Low allocative efficiency may stem from suboptimal input allocation and limited experience with these technologies, which are still in early stages of adoption. Improving resource allocation, enhancing farmer training, and expanding access to organic inputs can significantly improve economic performance and reduce existing efficiency gaps

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