Performance evaluation on agricultural product input/output logistics management in China

Commercialization in past years results in population concentrating in cities, has agricultural production gradually approach marginalization and regionalization, and increases the distance between agricultural production and marketing. In face of global competition, it also encourages the modernization of agricultural management. The establishment of agricultural strategy coalition and agricultural distribution centers is therefore largely promoted in past years. Supply chain logistics orientation is also emphasized in agriculture. Agricultural products stress on freshness and rapidness as they are perishable and hard to store. Rapidness therefore is emphasized in supply chain logistics. DEA is applied to the performance evaluation of agricultural product logistics in this study, and Modified Delphi Method is used for screening inputs and outputs. Total 4 inputs/outputs are selected in this study, and cities in Shanghai are taken as the samples. The research results show that 1 DMU reveals strong efficiency on agricultural products logistics, 5 DMUs present the efficiency in 0.9-1, and 7 DMUs appear the efficiency lower than 0.9. Furthermore, returns to scale analysis and slack variable analysis are applied to measure the improvement for excessive and short inputs. According to the results to propose suggestions, it is expected to develop the maximal effectiveness of agricultural product supply and marketing, complete integrated and diversified agricultural product supply and marketing, and promote the added value of agricultural products.