The research empirically estimates the resource use efficiency and resource-saving target ratio of farmers in the Koramangala-Challaghatta Valley Project (KCVP) and Non-Koramangala -Challaghatta Valley Project (NKCVP) area using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The study collected data from Kolar district in Karnataka, where 160 vegetable growers were selected using snowball sampling. Data were gathered through the utilization of pre-tested questionnaires and interview schedules. The study examined the efficiency of resource utilization among vegetable farmers, assessing both overall technical efficiency and pure technical efficiency through the application of a neoclassical non-parametric model called Data Envelopment Analysis. Furthermore, the study delved into resource overuse and estimated the resource-saving of various inputs used on the farm.

Highlights

• In the KCVP area, FS-I recorded the highest technical (0.74) and pure technical efficiency (0.90), followed by FS-II, FS-IV, and FS-III.
• In the NKCVP area, FS-I also showed the highest technical efficiency (0.86), followed by FS-IV, FS-II, and FS-III.
• FS-I consistently exhibited the most efficient resource utilization across both KCVP and NKCVP areas.