Technical and Economic Efficiency Study of Crops Cultivated in Northwest Syria Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)"

Abstract

 Agricultural planning is a crucial element for the success of agricultural sector, especially in developing countries which have limited resources and substantial needs. This necessitates planning based on productive and economic efficiency to optimize resource utilization. Accordingly, a study was conducted on the crops cultivated in the study area in Northwest Syria, represented by the administrative divisions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation: Idlib, Jisr al-Shughur, Harem, Northern region. These regions differ in terms of rainfall, water requirements, and productivity of the cultivated crops to reach the optimal crop composition at two levels:

• Level one: studying the efficiency of cultivated crops within each area.

• Level two: studying the efficiency of each crop within the four study regions.

The results demonstrated the superiority of Cumin, Nigella Sativa, Vicia Faba and Potato in all regions. On the other hand, heat, one of the major strategic crops, showed low efficiency in most study areas, except for the Jisr al-Shughur region, where its efficiency was better than in other areas, especially for winter crops. As for summer and intensive crops, efficiency varied for each crop, emphasizing the importance of agricultural planning in each region based on the efficiency of crops within it. Regarding Maize and Sunflower crops, their net returns were negative, and efficiency values were around zero when calculating land rent.