Conceptual assessment of energy input-output analysis and data envelopment analysis of greenhouse crops in Crete Island, Greece

The current study observes the input/output energy quantities and its associated financial value, in vegetable greenhouses on Crete, Greece, for the 2015-2016 cropping seasons. The utilized data was taken in regular direct basis for the implementation of energy input-output analysis and data envelopment analysis. For input data analysis, four crop practices were used tomato, pepper, cucumber, and eggplant. The outcomes of the expended majority of energy input-output analysis showed that fertilizers count for 53%, fossil fuel counts for 16%, and electricity counts for 12%. The mean crop and energy consumption for each crop practice were estimated as 94,036 MJ/ha and 171,950 kg/ha, 115,473 MJ/ha and 173,000 kg/ha, 81,196 MJ/ha and 128,893 kg/ ha, and 146,067 MJ/ha and 209,501 kg/ha, respectively. Inputs with the biggest shares in total inputs were manpower counts for 30%, fertilizers count for 22%, and crop protection counts for 16%. DEA method showed that the mean values of technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency were 0.90193, 0.97272, and 0.80322, respectively. The mean scale efficiencies were set as 0.80. The findings of this research would be valuable to the inefficient producers undertaking into consideration the recommendations made by this method, where the overall input in Euro could be meaningfully condensed without any reduction on the current overall output.