The oil palm sector is one of the most dynamic and important sectors in the agro-industry in Colombia. Even so, the evaluation of technical and productive aspects can improve the allocation of productive resources and strengthen business and sector competitiveness. The aim of this work was to evaluate the technical efficiency and the scale efficiency of palm oil extraction companies during the period 2011-2016 in Colombia. For this study, we used the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology and bootstrapping techniques for a sample of 45 palm oil extraction companies in Colombia. The results revealed that the extraction companies are more efficient at the operational scale than in the optimization of resources. The most efficient regions were Cesar, Bolivar, and Magdalena in the technical aspect, and Santander, Bolivar, and Magdalena in scale efficiency. The analysis allows us to conclude that, although the gap between efficiency and productivity in the palm sector regarding the leading producers has diminished, it is necessary to design strategies that facilitate the productive potential use of oil palm cultivation. Oil palm faces a great competitive challenge in the world order, therefore, its efficiency and productivity must be constantly improved.
