Efficiency Measurement of Agricultural Sub-Sector's Activities; Using Window Analysis Method

Agricultural sector is one of the important economic sectors of Iranian economy in terms of value added generation and its share in GNP، employment creation for active population، food security for the society and chain production provider for industrial sector. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of the agricultural sub sectors including farming and horticulture، livestock، fisheries and forestry and pasture for the period 1995 to 2009. To achieve the purpose، the non-parametric method of analysis called window data envelopment analysis is used، while assuming output-oriented approach to the production and under constant and variable returns to scale condition. The results of efficiency measurement in window analysis in terms of technically efficiency show that the farming and horticulture sub-sector on one hand and the fishery sector on the other hand represents the highest and lowest efficient sectors، scoring with efficiency rate of 0. 97 and 0. 70 respectively. Moreover، the findings show that the technical efficiency of livestock and fisheries sub-sectors during the period of study had an increasing trend، while the technical efficiency of forest and pasture sub-sector had a decreasing trend while it was fluctuating for the case farming and horticulture sub-sector during the period.