Optimization of Energy Consumption of Broiler Production Farms using Data Envelopment Analysis Approach

Mohammad Davoud Heidari,Asadolah Akram,Mahmoud Omid

doi:10.5539/mas.v5n3p69

Abstract

This study applied a non-parametric method to analyze the efficiency of farmers, discriminate efficient farmers from inefficient ones and to identify wasteful uses of energy in order to optimize the energy inputs for broiler production. Data were collected from 44 broiler farms in six villages in Yazd province (Iran) by using a face-to-face questionnaire performed in January– February 2010 period. The data were collected from 44 broiler farms in six villages from Yazd province, Iran. Average capacity of surveyed farms was 18142 birds. Maximum, minimum and average meat production of farms was 2000, 3000 and 2601 kg (1000bird)-1, respectively. Total energy used in various operations during broiler production was 186885.87 MJ (1000bird)-1. We determined TE (Technical Efficiency), PTE (Pure Technical Efficiency) and SE (Scale Efficiency) of energy use in broiler farms using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Two basic DEA models (CCR and BCC) were used to measure the TEs of the farmers based on five energy inputs and two outputs. The CCR and BCC models indicated 10 and 16 farmers were efficient, respectively. The average values of TE, PTE and SE of farmers were found to be 0.90, 0.93 and 0.96, respectively. The results also revealed that about 11% of the total input resources could be saved if the farmers follow the input package recommended by the DEA.

Highlights

Energy, being the capacity to do work, is at the heart of all human activities, especially those concerning the production of goods and services (Canakci and Akinci, 2006)
This paper describes the application of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to the study for improving the energy use in the broiler production in the central region of Iran
It has helped in finding the wasteful uses of energy by inefficient farmers, ranking efficient farmers by using the CCR and BCC models and ranking energy sources by using technical, pure technical and scale efficiency

Summary

Introduction

Energy, being the capacity to do work, is at the heart of all human activities, especially those concerning the production of goods and services (Canakci and Akinci, 2006). Energy is used in almost all facets of living and in all countries, and makes possible the existence of ecosystems, human civilizations and life itself. The intensity of energy use on broiler farms is high and studies on input-output energy pattern on broiler farms are very important. Efficient use www.ccsenet.org/mas of agricultural product energies helps to achieve increased production and productivity and contributes to the profitability and competitiveness of agriculture sustainability in rural living (Singh et al, 2002). Atilgan and Hayati (2006) analyzed cultural energy on broilers reared in different capacity poultry houses of Turkey. Results of their study showed that increasing capacity of housings decreases cultural energy input up to certain capacity and indicated that increasing housing capacity without interfering with performance could be a means for energy conservation in sustainable agriculture. A number of studies have been carried out on efficiency in crop and livestock farms (Latruffe et al, 2004) and other livestock production such as poultry egg (Binuomote et al, 2008; Yusef and Malomo, 2007; Ojo, 2003), dairy farm (Balcombe et al, 2006; Bravo-Ureta and Rieger, 1990), and fish farm (Inoni, 2007; Ekunwe and Emokaro, 2009)

Methods

Results

Conclusion