MONITORING THE PERFORMANCE OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SECTOR COMPANIES USING DEA

Since the 1970s, Saudi Arabia's Agricultural and Food (A&F) production has grown at an astronomical rate. The Saudi Stock Market (Tadawul) now has several top-ranking agricultural and food processing firms listed, making the country's A&F industry the fourth largest contributor to the local economy. As a result, the A&F sector plays a critical role in maintaining Saudi Arabia's worldwide stock market strength. Any dynamic economy requires long-term sustainability in the A&F industry. To achieve long-term viability, regular evaluations of performance efficiency and comparison are necessary. The study aimed to examine enterprises' financial and operational performance in Saudi Arabia's agriculture and food sectors. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is used in this study to evaluate technological efficacy. A non-parametric analytic approach, the DEA method from one firm, is used to gauge efficiency compared to a productivity unit with the same purpose. According to the findings, the relative efficiency of the examined seven prominent A&F firms significantly varied during the research. According to efficiency-based rankings, financial data may help make more objective decisions. Results of the study indicated potential cost reductions in general administration by 22.63%, owners' equity by 15.15%, and capital expenditures by 10.15%. Implications of this study include providing a reflective understanding of the relative performance of the Saudi A&F companies, which can assist in developing better targeted continuous performance improvement plans and more effective strategies.