Evaluation of agricultural product distribution efficiency under the perspective of agricultural-commerce integration

This study evaluates the efficiency of agricultural product distribution through the lens of agricultural-commerce integration, focusing on Fujian Province, China. By innovatively dividing the distribution process into two stages—production and sales—and employing a non-radial Slack-Based Measure (SBM) two-stage network Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model, the research provides a more comprehensive assessment of distribution efficiency. The results reveal that Xiamen maintained full efficiency in both stages, while Fuzhou improved from 0.681 in 2015 to full production efficiency by 2019. In contrast, Nanping's sales efficiency remained as low as 0.041. The results show that while overall distribution efficiency has improved, significant regional disparities persist, particularly in the sales stage. The paper highlights the central role of agricultural product distribution companies in optimizing resource allocation and enhancing efficiency through collaborations with emerging agricultural entities and strategies to reduce distribution costs. Additionally, the study introduces a novel approach by categorizing cities based on their efficiency levels and proposing tailored improvement strategies for each category. High-performing cities like Xiamen and Fuzhou should focus on value-added processing, while low-efficiency cities like Nanping require targeted interventions to improve sales performance. This research contributes to the literature by integrating agricultural-commerce integration into the evaluation of distribution efficiency and offers actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in the agricultural sector looking to improve agricultural product distribution systems.