IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/zbw/espost/249051.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The influence of dense planting system on the technical efficiency of saffron production and land use sustainability: Empirical evidence from Gonabad county, Iran

Author

Listed:
  • Ramezani, Mohammadreza
  • Dourandish, Arash
  • Jamali Jaghdani, Tinoush
  • Aminizadeh, Milad

Abstract

The cultivation of saffron, which is one of the most expensive agricultural products in the world, is the main source of livelihood and economic wellbeing for the rural communities of Gonabad county in the eastern part of Iran. Nevertheless, farm monitoring in the region has shown that many saffron growers apply a high-density planting system for more profit. This practice results in the loss of land productivity after a six-year production cycle. As a consequence, farmers abandon the cultivated lands and move to plant saffron in available virgin lands. The purpose of this study is to analyse the technical efficiency of saffron farms and its determinants with an emphasis on the role of planting density. A survey was conducted in 2019, and a cross-sectional random sampling technique was used to select 110 saffron growers. We first assessed the technical efficiency of farms using a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model with input orientation. In the next step, efficiency scores were regressed on explanatory variables using OLS and bootstrapped truncated regression to identify efficiency related factors. We find that planting density negatively influenced technical efficiency, suggesting that it is necessary for saffron growers to be educated on the negative impacts of the dense planting system.

Suggested Citation

  • Ramezani, Mohammadreza & Dourandish, Arash & Jamali Jaghdani, Tinoush & Aminizadeh, Milad, 2022. "The influence of dense planting system on the technical efficiency of saffron production and land use sustainability: Empirical evidence from Gonabad county, Iran," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 12(1).
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:249051
    DOI: 10.3390/agriculture12010092
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/249051/1/Ramezani_2022_dense_planting_system.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.3390/agriculture12010092?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November.
    2. Jesús T. Pastor & JosÉ L. Ruiz & Inmaculada Sirvent, 2002. "A Statistical Test for Nested Radial Dea Models," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 50(4), pages 728-735, August.
    3. Khan Claudette Mengui & Saera Oh & Sang Hyeon Lee, 2019. "The Technical Efficiency of Smallholder Irish Potato Producers in Santa Subdivision, Cameroon," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Ana Trigo & Ana Marta-Costa & Rui Fragoso, 2021. "Principles of Sustainable Agriculture: Defining Standardized Reference Points," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-20, April.
    5. María-Celia López-Penabad & José Manuel Maside-Sanfiz & Juan Torrelles Manent & Ana Iglesias-Casal, 2020. "Application of the DEA Double Bootstrap to Analyze Efficiency in Galician Sheltered Workshops," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-21, August.
    6. Asimeh, Mahboubeh & Nooripoor, Mehdi & Azadi, Hossein & Van Eetvelde, Veerle & Sklenička, Petr & Witlox, Frank, 2020. "Agricultural land use sustainability in Southwest Iran: Improving land leveling using consolidation plans," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    7. Bazrafshan, Ommolbanin & Ramezani Etedali, Hadi & Gerkani Nezhad Moshizi, Zahra & Shamili, Mansoureh, 2019. "Virtual water trade and water footprint accounting of Saffron production in Iran," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 368-374.
    8. McDonald, John, 2009. "Using least squares and tobit in second stage DEA efficiency analyses," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 197(2), pages 792-798, September.
    9. Simar, Leopold & Wilson, Paul W., 2007. "Estimation and inference in two-stage, semi-parametric models of production processes," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 136(1), pages 31-64, January.
    10. Rajiv D. Banker & Ram Natarajan, 2008. "Evaluating Contextual Variables Affecting Productivity Using Data Envelopment Analysis," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 56(1), pages 48-58, February.
    11. Timothy J. Coelli & D.S. Prasada Rao & Christopher J. O’Donnell & George E. Battese, 2005. "An Introduction to Efficiency and Productivity Analysis," Springer Books, Springer, edition 0, number 978-0-387-25895-9, December.
    12. Zainab Oyetunde-Usman & Kehinde Oluseyi Olagunju, 2019. "Determinants of Food Security and Technical Efficiency among Agricultural Households in Nigeria," Economies, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-13, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Leonidas Sotirios Kyrgiakos & Georgios Kleftodimos & George Vlontzos & Panos M. Pardalos, 2023. "A systematic literature review of data envelopment analysis implementation in agriculture under the prism of sustainability," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 23(1), pages 1-38, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Veronese da Silva, Aline & Costa, Marcelo Azevedo & Lopes-Ahn, Ana Lúcia, 2022. "Accounting multiple environmental variables in DEA energy transmission benchmarking modelling: The 2019 Brazilian case," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    2. Afsharian, Mohsen & Kamali, Sara & Ahn, Heinz & Bogetoft, Peter, 2024. "Individualized second stage corrections in data envelopment analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 317(2), pages 563-577.
    3. Liu, John S. & Lu, Louis Y.Y. & Lu, Wen-Min, 2016. "Research fronts in data envelopment analysis," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 33-45.
    4. Huguenin, Jean-Marc, 2015. "Adjusting for the environment in DEA: A comparison of alternative models based on empirical data," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 41-54.
    5. da Silva, Aline Veronese & Costa, Marcelo Azevedo & Ahn, Heinz & Lopes, Ana Lúcia Miranda, 2019. "Performance benchmarking models for electricity transmission regulation: Caveats concerning the Brazilian case," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 1-1.
    6. Weekx, Simon & Buyle, Sven, 2023. "The effect of airline dominance on airport performance: Empirical evidence from medium-sized European airports," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    7. Salas-Velasco, Manuel, 2018. "Production efficiency measurement and its determinants across OECD countries: The role of business sophistication and innovation," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 60-73.
    8. Alexandre de Cássio Rodrigues & Carlos Alberto Gonçalves & Tiago Silveira Gontijo, 2019. "A two-stage DEA model to evaluate the efficiency of countries at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 39(2), pages 1538-1545.
    9. Ioannis E. Tsolas, 2020. "Financial Performance Assessment of Construction Firms by Means of RAM-Based Composite Indicators," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-16, August.
    10. Varun Mahajan & D. K. Nauriyal & S. P. Singh, 2020. "Domestic market competitiveness of Indian drug and pharmaceutical industry," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 519-559, June.
    11. Amir Moradi-Motlagh & Ali Emrouznejad, 2022. "The origins and development of statistical approaches in non-parametric frontier models: a survey of the first two decades of scholarly literature (1998–2020)," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 318(1), pages 713-741, November.
    12. Tsolas, Ioannis E., 2014. "Precious metal mutual fund performance appraisal using DEA modeling," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 54-60.
    13. Víctor Chang & Beatriz Tovar, 2022. "Efficiency drivers for the South Pacific West coast port terminals: a two-stage non-convex metafrontier dea approach," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 2667-2701, July.
    14. Standfuss, Thomas & Hirte, Georg & Schultz, Michael & Fricke, Hartmut, 2024. "Efficiency assessment in European air traffic management—A fundamental analysis of data, models, and methods," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    15. Chen Kaihua & Kou Mingting, 2014. "Staged efficiency and its determinants of regional innovation systems: a two-step analytical procedure," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 52(2), pages 627-657, March.
    16. Dana PANCUROVA & Stefan LYOCSA, 2013. "Determinants of Commercial Banks’ Efficiency: Evidence from 11 CEE Countries," Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (Finance a uver), Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, vol. 63(2), pages 152-179, May.
    17. Thomas Standfuss & Georg Hirte & Michael Schultz & Hartmut Fricke, 2023. "Efficiency in European Air Traffic Management -- A Fundamental Analysis of Data, Models, and Methods," Papers 2302.07525, arXiv.org.
    18. Varun Mahajan & D. K. Nauriyal & S. P. Singh, 2018. "Efficiency and Its Determinants: Panel Data Evidence from the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 12(1), pages 19-40, February.
    19. Touati-Tliba, Mohamed, 2024. "Comparative performance of Algeria's education districts: The Influence of colonial legacy through cultural capital," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    20. Daniel Santín & Gabriela Sicilia, 2015. "Measuring the efficiency of public schools in Uruguay: main drivers and policy implications," Latin American Economic Review, Springer;Centro de Investigaciòn y Docencia Económica (CIDE), vol. 24(1), pages 1-28, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:249051. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/zbwkide.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.