The Interaction of the Market Structure Components in Sugar Supply Chain of Iran

Abstract

The market structure of the sugar industry in Iran, due to the production of high share of products by a few firms, has moved away from competitive market conditions, which is expected to result in market failure due to the inefficiency of monopoly. So the main questions addressed in this paper are; How we can increase the share of low-income firms and what is the relationship between the efficiency of firms and the market structure of this industry. In order to answer these questions, using the cross-efficiency ranking method, the maximum relative distance from the anti-ideal virtual decision-making unit based on the data envelopment analysis method and the efficiency of these companies was evaluated. Then, using parametric models, the relationships among behavior, profitability, efficiency and market structure of these firms were examined. Statistics and information of sugar factories in Iran in 2014 were analyzed using GAMS and SHAZAM softwares. Based on the results, there is an interaction relationship between structure and performance in the industries in sugar supply chain. Increasing the profitability of small-scale units compared to large units by implementing supportive policies and reducing the cost of providing inputs, increasing the efficiency and quality of sugar production through investment in R&D, branding, developing new markets by implementing export incentive policies and productivity management cycle are ways to modify the structure of the sugar supply chain.

Keywords

• market structure
• supply chain
• sugar
• structure- conduct- performance pattern