A Network Data Envelopment Analysis Approach for Efficiency Measurement of Poultry Industry Production Chains

In this paper, models of data envelopment analysis (DEA) were investigated with the aim of measuring the efficiency of production chains in Iran's poultry industry. DEA tool can determine the efficiency frontier and the reference production chain to improve the performance of the poultry industry. Statistical data were collected for ۲۸ active production chains and ۸ variables including: Material cost, human resource cost, equipment and facilities cost, transport cost, number of poultry, poultry price, profit, and cost of slaughter. Then, the relative efficiency of each chain was measured using traditional and network DEA. Finally, cross efficiency method was used to rank efficient chains. Traditional DEA results showed ۲۵% of production chains to be efficient. Meanwhile, this percentage was equal to ۱۰.۷% in the proposed model of the paper (two-stage DEA). Therefore, the scientific accuracy of the reference production chain will be higher in the network model. The rest of the results and their details were presented and discussed. The results of this paper can be useful in the decision-making and policies of poultry industry managers and also improve the performance of production chains in this industry.