The energy-ratio (output energy to input energy ratio) and specific energy (input energy to yield ratio denoted by MJ/kg) of farmers in crop production systems are indices, which can define the efficiency and performance of farms. Technical efficiency (weighted output energy to weighted input energy ratio) is another way to explain the efficiency of farmers. In this paper non-parametric method i.e. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique was subjected to data of paddy producers in Punjab state (India). Technical, pure technical and scale efficiencies were calculated (by using CCR and BCC models) for farmers category-wise and zone-wise. Results revealed that small farmers had high energy-ratio and low specific energy requirement as compared to larger ones at paddy farms. Energy-ratio was 10 in zone 2 and 8.6 in zone 3 and was highest as compared to other zones and it depicted that the farmers in these zones had more efficiency than other zones. There was strong correlation between energy-ratio and technical efficiency in both category-wise and zone-wise with correlation coefficient 0.98 and 0.99, respectively. Also it was observed that the correlation coefficient between specific energy and inverse technical efficiency was 0.97 and 0.99, respectively for operation-wise and source-wise energy inputs for paddy crop. Although there was high correlation between technical efficiency and energy-ratio, however comparison between correlation coefficient of farmers in different farm categories and different zones showed that energy-ratio and specific energy are not enhanced indices for explaining of all kinds of the technical, pure technical and scale efficiency of farmers. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.