Unified analysis of the technical efficiency of sugar production in Mexico

Authors

  • Mario Iván García-Hernández Consultor/Investigador Independiente. Av. Úrsulo Galván 36A, Colonia Salitrería, Texcoco, Estado de México, México. CP. 56150. Tel. 595 9572994
  • Román Morales-Pablo Universidad Tecnológica de Gutiérrez Zamora-Ingeniería en Agrobiotecnología. Carretera Gutiérrez Zamora-Boca de Lima km 2.5, Gutiérrez Zamora, Veracruz, México. CP. 93556. Tel. 595 1149995
  • Verónica Guízar-Serrano Posgrado del Centro de Investigaciones Económicas, Sociales y Tecnológicas de la Agroindustria y la Agricultura Mundial-Universidad Autónoma Chapingo. Carretera México-Texcoco km 38.5, Chapingo, Texcoco, Estado de México. CP. 56230. Tel. 595 9521613.
  • Fermín Sandoval-Romero Universidad Autónoma Chapingo. Carretera México-Texcoco km 38.5, Chapingo, Texcoco, Estado de México. CP. 56230. Tel. 595 9521500, ext. 1668

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v17i1.3958

Keywords:

data envelopment analysis, resource and input management, stochastic frontier, technical inefficiency

Abstract

In Mexico, sugarcane is an important crop because it is the primary input for sugar production and impacts employment generation in 15 states and 272 municipalities. This study aimed to estimate the technical efficiency of sugar mills of the 2022-2023 harvest in the production of standard sugar. The methodology used was the stochastic nonparametric envelopment of data (StoNED) analysis, which unifies the approaches of data envelopment analysis and stochastic frontier analysis. The results showed the existence of heterogeneity in the relative technical efficiency of sugar production across the mills. Five groups of mills were identified: a) ten mills with optimal efficiency; b) 25 mills with high relative efficiency; c) four mills at the threshold of high relative efficiency; d) five mills with potential for improvement; and e) a mill in a critical situation due to its high technical inefficiency (26%), which was El Carmen. The average efficiency of agribusiness was 96%. It is concluded that there is a regularity in the behavior of the El Carmen and El Mante mills as two decision-making units, which, given their high inefficiency in the production of standard sugar, due to causes attributable to their management and production practices, could stop operating temporarily or permanently.

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Published

2026-02-21

How to Cite

García-Hernández, Mario Iván, Román Morales-Pablo, Verónica Guízar-Serrano, and Fermín Sandoval-Romero. 2026. “Unified Analysis of the Technical Efficiency of Sugar Production in Mexico”. Revista Mexicana De Ciencias Agrícolas 17 (1). México, ME:e3958. https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v17i1.3958.

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 1 (2026)

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