Evaluation of Palm Groves Technical Efficiency Using Bootstrap Data Envelopment Analysis: A Case Study of Roodkhanehbar Area, Iran

Roodkhnehbar area, having approximately 111 thousands of Keriteh palm trees, is one of the most important areas of date production in the Rudan County[1]and the source of peoples’ income in this area, directly or indirectly. As a result, its production efficiency has a critical importance to the orchardists in this region. This study aims to evaluate technical efficiency of palm groves in this area using input-oriented bootstrap data envelopment analysis and sampling 50 palm groves of Keriteh date producers of Roodkhanehbar area in 2013. The results suggested that 64% of date producers operate with less than 50% efficiency and only 14% of them operate efficiently. The study, then, carries the implication that it is recommended to train the orchardists, providing a chance for successful orchardists to share their experiences with others in an attempt to optimize allocation of inputs.