Farm-Level Efficiency Analysis of Confectionery Sunflower Production in The Pasin Plain: A Data Envelopment Approach

This study evaluated the technical, allocative, and economic efficiency levels of 140 confectionery sunflower farms in the Pasin Plain, Erzurum province, using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Primary data were collected through face-to-face surveys during the 2022 production season. The bootstrapped DEA technique was employed under both Constant Returns to Scale (CRS) and Variable Returns to Scale (VRS) assumptions. According to the findings, the farms classical technical efficiency score was 0.88, whilst bootstrapped technical efficiency score was 0.83, their allocative efficiency score was 0.82, and their economic efficiency score was 0.72. These results indicate that farms manage their production processes relatively efficiently with existing technology and resources (17.00% savings potential in pure technical efficiency), but there are significant areas for improvement in selecting the optimal input mix at correct prices (18.00% savings potential in allocative efficiency) and in overall cost performance (28.00% savings potential in economic efficiency). Furthermore, approximately 24.00 % of the overall inefficiency was attributed to scale inefficiency. The study presents concrete policy recommendations focused on cost management and market analysis in agricultural extension services. The recommendations include encouraging land consolidation and the formation of cooperatives, promoting the widespread use of existing digital applications among producers, and providing low-interest loan opportunities for small-scale businesses. These findings provide a solid scientific foundation for developing strategies to enhance the sustainability and economic efficiency of sunflower seed production in the region.