EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS OF CASPIAN CATTLE FEEDLOT FARMS BY DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS

摘要

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is an excellent approach for evaluating the performance of decision making units (DMUs) that use multiple inputs to produce multiple outputs. This research utilizes the DEA to analyze the operating efficiency of Caspian cattle feedlot farms in Iran. The inputs utilized by the farms are number of calve, number of labors, total metabolizable energy intake, total crude protein intake and total cost of hygiene-treatment of calve; and the output considered is total live weigh gain of calve. By using two DEA models, the efficiency score for each farm is calculated and the efficient farms are ranked.