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 County1 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.