A Multi-Objective Decision Framework for Optimizing Agricultural Marketing Using Complex Proportional Assessment
Abstract
This study develops a decision-support framework for agricultural marketing using established Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) techniques. It integrates expert knowledge with primary field data to evaluate crop marketing alternatives within a regulated market context. The Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) method was employed to determine the relative importance of six farmer-identified criteria, with spot cash payment (0.28) and absence of middlemen (0.23) emerging as the most influential. Subsequently, the Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS) method was applied to rank three key crops—groundnut, cotton, and maize—based on these criteria. Groundnut was identified as the most preferred alternative, with a performance score of 0.962, followed by cotton (0.945) and maize (0.931). Sensitivity analysis across five weighting scenarios indicated score variations of less than 3%, confirming the stability and robustness of the results. By combining systematic decision-making procedures with domain-specific data, this framework provides statistically supported insights that can inform evidence-based agricultural policy and contribute to socio-economic development planning.
References
S. S. Chahal and P. Kataria, "Impact analysis of infrastructure and incentives on trade in regulated markets of Punjab," Agriculture Update, vol. 3, no. 3&4, pp. 373–378, 2008. doi: 10.5958/0976-4666.2015.00107.2
P. Karahocagil and H. Ozudogru, "Agricultural development cooperatives in Turkey: The example Sanliurfa Province," Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 372–377, 2011. doi: 10.3923/javaa.2011.372.377
M. Saqlain, P. Kumam and W. Kumam, "Optimizing agricultural decision-making with integrated MCDM-MCDA methods: A case study on crop economics," Yugoslav Journal of Operations Research, vol. 00, pp. 8–8, 2025. doi: 10.2298/YJOR240915008S
M. Chalajour and Y. Feizabadi, "Marketing price transmission analysis in the Iranian rice market," African Journal of Agricultural Research, vol. 7, no. 20, pp. 3081–3087, 2012.
M. Sandra, S. Narayanamoorthy, K. Suvitha, D. Pamucar, V. Simic and D. Kang, "An insightful multicriteria model for the selection of drilling technique for heat extraction from geothermal reservoirs using a fuzzy-rough approach," Information Sciences, vol. 686, Art. no. 121353, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.ins.2024.121353
T. Manirathinam, S. Narayanamoorthy, S. Geetha, M. F. I. Othman, B. S. Alotaibi, A. Ahmadian and D. Kang, "Sustainable renewable energy system selection for self-sufficient households using integrated fermatean neutrosophic fuzzy stratified AHP-MARCOS approach," Renewable Energy, vol. 218, Art. no. 119292, 2023. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2023.119292
K. A. Khunt, H. M. Gajipara, B. K. Gadhvi and S. B. Vekariya, "Economics of production and marketing of pomegranate," Indian Journal of Agricultural Marketing, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 100107, 2003. doi: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1089.23
J. A. Begum, "The market structure, marketing practices and patterns of vegetable market: A micro level study," Asian Journal of Research in Social Science and Humanities, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 10–18, 2011. doi: 10.17010/ijom/2015/v45/i8/79921
K. Govindarajan and T. R. Shanmugam, "Measuring market efficiency of regulated markets for effective performance in Tamil Nadu," Journal of the Indian Society of Agricultural Statistics, vol. 65, no. 1, pp. 77–81, 2011. doi: 10.9734/ajaees/2021/v39i930650
B. Madhusudhana, "A survey on area, production and productivity of groundnut crop in India," Journal of Economics and Finance, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 1–7, 2013. doi: 10.9790/5933-0130107.
R. B. Gotadaki, V. Mukkelli and T. N. Godi, "Production dimensions of groundnut in Agalkot district of Karnataka state," The International Journal of Business & Management, vol. 3, no. 11, pp. 1–9, 2015.
P. K. Ganjeer, D. Sagar, V. Mishra and M. L. Lakhera, "Distribution of area, production and productivity of maize in different districts of northern hills of Chhattisgarh, India," International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, vol. 7, no. 8, pp. 1–9, 2018. doi: 10.20546/ijcmas.2018.708.246
T. Tarnanidis, M. Vlachopoulou, B. Mareschal and J. Papathanasiou, "Marketing in the metaverse through MCDM methods and statistics," in Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) Techniques and Statistics in Marketing, IGI Global Scientific Publishing, 2025, pp. 249–266. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113420
M. Sandra, S. Narayanamoorthy, K. Suvitha, D. Pamucar and D. Kang, "Optimizing noninvasive remote sensing for geothermal exploration with T-spherical dual hesitant fuzzy decision model," Facta Universitatis, Series: Mechanical Engineering, 2025. doi: 10.22190/FUME241116016S
B. Pandey and M. K. Khurana, "An integrated Pythagorean fuzzy SWARA-COPRAS framework to prioritise the solutions for mitigating Industry 4.0 risks," Expert Systems with Applications, vol. 254, Art. no. 124412, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.eswa.2024.124412
D. Kang, K. Suvitha, S. Narayanamoorthy, M. Sandra and D. Pamucar, "Evaluation of wave energy converters based on integrated ELECTRE approach," Expert Systems with Applications, vol. 242, Art. no. 122793, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.eswa.2023.122793
H. F. Atlı, "Target market selection for agricultural products in international markets using fuzzy AHP and fuzzy COPRAS MCDM techniques," Journal of Anatolian Environmental and Animal Sciences, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 369–382, 2024. doi: 10.35229/jaes.1452490
M. Nedeljković, A. Puška, D. Pamučar and D. Marinković, "Selection of agricultural product sales channels using fuzzy double MEREC and fuzzy RAWEC method," Agriculture and Forestry, vol. 70, no. 3, pp. 45–58, 2024. doi: 10.17707/AgricultForest.70.3.03
Bathaei and D. Streimikiene, "Assessing sustainable agriculture in the EU/Baltic countries using multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) and EUROSTAT data using stakeholder’s view," Sustainable Development, 2025. doi: 10.1002/sd.3529
E. Huskanović and Ž. Stević, "Sorting products using the ABC-SWARA model," Decision Making and Artificial Intelligence Trends, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 91–104, 2024.
S. Dhruva, R. Krishankumar, K. S. Ravichandran, A. Kaklauskas, E. K. Zavadskas and P. Gupta, "Selection of waste treatment methods for food sources: An integrated decision model using q-rung fuzzy data, LOPCOW, and COPRAS techniques," Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, pp. 1–25, 2025. doi: 10.1007/s10098-025-03160-6
A. Mehdiabadi, A. Sadeghi, A. Karbassi Yazdi and Y. Tan, "Sustainability Service Chain Capabilities in the Oil and Gas Industry: A Fuzzy Hybrid Approach SWARA-MABAC," Spectrum of Operational Research, vol. 2, pp. 92–112, 2025. doi: 10.31181/sor21202512
T. Basuri, K. H. Gazi, P. Bhaduri, S. G. Das and S. P. Mondal, "Decision-analytics-based Sustainable Location Problem - Neutrosophic CRITIC-COPRAS Assessment Model," Management Science Advances, vol. 2, pp. 19–58, 2025. https://doi.org/10.31181/msa2120257
D. Çilingir, H. H. Öztürk and K. Kaya, "Invisible Walls to Green Mobility: Barriers to Sustainable Transportation in Izmir," Spectrum of Decision Making and Applications, vol. 3, pp. 151–163, 2025. doi: 10.31181/sdmap31202653
S. A. Razak, Z. M. Rodzi, F. Al-Sharqi and N. Ramli, "Revolutionizing Decision-Making in E-Commerce and IT Procurement: An IVPNS-COBRA Linguistic Variable Framework for Enhanced Multi-Criteria Analysis," International Journal of Economic Sciences, vol. 14, pp. 1–31, 2025. doi: 10.31181/ijes1412025176
R. Kumar and D. Pamucar, "A Comprehensive and Systematic Review of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) Methods to Solve Decision-Making Problems: Two Decades from 2004 to 2024," Spectrum of Decision Making and Applications, vol. 2, pp. 178–197, 2025. doi: 10.31181/sdmap21202524
E. K. Özekenci, "A Multi-Criteria Framework for Economic Decision Support in Urban Sustainability: Comparative Insights from European Cities," International Journal of Economic Sciences, vol. 14, pp. 162–181, 2025. doi: 10.31181/ijes1412025188
M. B. Bouraima, S. Qian, Y. Qiu, I. Badi and M. M. Sangaré-Oumar, "Addressing Human Capital Development Challenges in Developing Countries Using an Interval-spherical Fuzzy Environment," Management Science Advances, vol. 2, pp. 59–68, 2025. doi: 10.31181/msa2120258
S. Biswas, S. Bhattacharjee, B. Biswas, K. Mitra and N. Khawas, "An Expert Opinion-Based Soft Computing Framework for Comparing Nanotechnologies used in Agriculture," Spectrum of Operational Research, vol. 4, pp. 1–39, 2025. doi: 10.31181/sor4156
P. Karahocagil and H. Ozudogru, "Agricultural development cooperatives in Turkey: The example Sanliurfa Province," Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 372–377, 2011. doi: 10.3923/javaa.2011.372.377
M. Saqlain, P. Kumam and W. Kumam, "Optimizing agricultural decision-making with integrated MCDM-MCDA methods: A case study on crop economics," Yugoslav Journal of Operations Research, vol. 00, pp. 8–8, 2025. doi: 10.2298/YJOR240915008S
M. Chalajour and Y. Feizabadi, "Marketing price transmission analysis in the Iranian rice market," African Journal of Agricultural Research, vol. 7, no. 20, pp. 3081–3087, 2012.
M. Sandra, S. Narayanamoorthy, K. Suvitha, D. Pamucar, V. Simic and D. Kang, "An insightful multicriteria model for the selection of drilling technique for heat extraction from geothermal reservoirs using a fuzzy-rough approach," Information Sciences, vol. 686, Art. no. 121353, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.ins.2024.121353
T. Manirathinam, S. Narayanamoorthy, S. Geetha, M. F. I. Othman, B. S. Alotaibi, A. Ahmadian and D. Kang, "Sustainable renewable energy system selection for self-sufficient households using integrated fermatean neutrosophic fuzzy stratified AHP-MARCOS approach," Renewable Energy, vol. 218, Art. no. 119292, 2023. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2023.119292
K. A. Khunt, H. M. Gajipara, B. K. Gadhvi and S. B. Vekariya, "Economics of production and marketing of pomegranate," Indian Journal of Agricultural Marketing, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 100107, 2003. doi: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1089.23
J. A. Begum, "The market structure, marketing practices and patterns of vegetable market: A micro level study," Asian Journal of Research in Social Science and Humanities, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 10–18, 2011. doi: 10.17010/ijom/2015/v45/i8/79921
K. Govindarajan and T. R. Shanmugam, "Measuring market efficiency of regulated markets for effective performance in Tamil Nadu," Journal of the Indian Society of Agricultural Statistics, vol. 65, no. 1, pp. 77–81, 2011. doi: 10.9734/ajaees/2021/v39i930650
B. Madhusudhana, "A survey on area, production and productivity of groundnut crop in India," Journal of Economics and Finance, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 1–7, 2013. doi: 10.9790/5933-0130107.
R. B. Gotadaki, V. Mukkelli and T. N. Godi, "Production dimensions of groundnut in Agalkot district of Karnataka state," The International Journal of Business & Management, vol. 3, no. 11, pp. 1–9, 2015.
P. K. Ganjeer, D. Sagar, V. Mishra and M. L. Lakhera, "Distribution of area, production and productivity of maize in different districts of northern hills of Chhattisgarh, India," International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, vol. 7, no. 8, pp. 1–9, 2018. doi: 10.20546/ijcmas.2018.708.246
T. Tarnanidis, M. Vlachopoulou, B. Mareschal and J. Papathanasiou, "Marketing in the metaverse through MCDM methods and statistics," in Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) Techniques and Statistics in Marketing, IGI Global Scientific Publishing, 2025, pp. 249–266. doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113420
M. Sandra, S. Narayanamoorthy, K. Suvitha, D. Pamucar and D. Kang, "Optimizing noninvasive remote sensing for geothermal exploration with T-spherical dual hesitant fuzzy decision model," Facta Universitatis, Series: Mechanical Engineering, 2025. doi: 10.22190/FUME241116016S
B. Pandey and M. K. Khurana, "An integrated Pythagorean fuzzy SWARA-COPRAS framework to prioritise the solutions for mitigating Industry 4.0 risks," Expert Systems with Applications, vol. 254, Art. no. 124412, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.eswa.2024.124412
D. Kang, K. Suvitha, S. Narayanamoorthy, M. Sandra and D. Pamucar, "Evaluation of wave energy converters based on integrated ELECTRE approach," Expert Systems with Applications, vol. 242, Art. no. 122793, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.eswa.2023.122793
H. F. Atlı, "Target market selection for agricultural products in international markets using fuzzy AHP and fuzzy COPRAS MCDM techniques," Journal of Anatolian Environmental and Animal Sciences, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 369–382, 2024. doi: 10.35229/jaes.1452490
M. Nedeljković, A. Puška, D. Pamučar and D. Marinković, "Selection of agricultural product sales channels using fuzzy double MEREC and fuzzy RAWEC method," Agriculture and Forestry, vol. 70, no. 3, pp. 45–58, 2024. doi: 10.17707/AgricultForest.70.3.03
Bathaei and D. Streimikiene, "Assessing sustainable agriculture in the EU/Baltic countries using multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) and EUROSTAT data using stakeholder’s view," Sustainable Development, 2025. doi: 10.1002/sd.3529
E. Huskanović and Ž. Stević, "Sorting products using the ABC-SWARA model," Decision Making and Artificial Intelligence Trends, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 91–104, 2024.
S. Dhruva, R. Krishankumar, K. S. Ravichandran, A. Kaklauskas, E. K. Zavadskas and P. Gupta, "Selection of waste treatment methods for food sources: An integrated decision model using q-rung fuzzy data, LOPCOW, and COPRAS techniques," Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, pp. 1–25, 2025. doi: 10.1007/s10098-025-03160-6
A. Mehdiabadi, A. Sadeghi, A. Karbassi Yazdi and Y. Tan, "Sustainability Service Chain Capabilities in the Oil and Gas Industry: A Fuzzy Hybrid Approach SWARA-MABAC," Spectrum of Operational Research, vol. 2, pp. 92–112, 2025. doi: 10.31181/sor21202512
T. Basuri, K. H. Gazi, P. Bhaduri, S. G. Das and S. P. Mondal, "Decision-analytics-based Sustainable Location Problem - Neutrosophic CRITIC-COPRAS Assessment Model," Management Science Advances, vol. 2, pp. 19–58, 2025. https://doi.org/10.31181/msa2120257
D. Çilingir, H. H. Öztürk and K. Kaya, "Invisible Walls to Green Mobility: Barriers to Sustainable Transportation in Izmir," Spectrum of Decision Making and Applications, vol. 3, pp. 151–163, 2025. doi: 10.31181/sdmap31202653
S. A. Razak, Z. M. Rodzi, F. Al-Sharqi and N. Ramli, "Revolutionizing Decision-Making in E-Commerce and IT Procurement: An IVPNS-COBRA Linguistic Variable Framework for Enhanced Multi-Criteria Analysis," International Journal of Economic Sciences, vol. 14, pp. 1–31, 2025. doi: 10.31181/ijes1412025176
R. Kumar and D. Pamucar, "A Comprehensive and Systematic Review of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) Methods to Solve Decision-Making Problems: Two Decades from 2004 to 2024," Spectrum of Decision Making and Applications, vol. 2, pp. 178–197, 2025. doi: 10.31181/sdmap21202524
E. K. Özekenci, "A Multi-Criteria Framework for Economic Decision Support in Urban Sustainability: Comparative Insights from European Cities," International Journal of Economic Sciences, vol. 14, pp. 162–181, 2025. doi: 10.31181/ijes1412025188
M. B. Bouraima, S. Qian, Y. Qiu, I. Badi and M. M. Sangaré-Oumar, "Addressing Human Capital Development Challenges in Developing Countries Using an Interval-spherical Fuzzy Environment," Management Science Advances, vol. 2, pp. 59–68, 2025. doi: 10.31181/msa2120258
S. Biswas, S. Bhattacharjee, B. Biswas, K. Mitra and N. Khawas, "An Expert Opinion-Based Soft Computing Framework for Comparing Nanotechnologies used in Agriculture," Spectrum of Operational Research, vol. 4, pp. 1–39, 2025. doi: 10.31181/sor4156
Published
2025-11-18
How to Cite
POOCHAN, Lakshmanan et al.
A Multi-Objective Decision Framework for Optimizing Agricultural Marketing Using Complex Proportional Assessment.
Yugoslav Journal of Operations Research, [S.l.], nov. 2025.
ISSN 2334-6043.
Available at: <https://yujor.fon.bg.ac.rs/index.php/yujor/article/view/1372>. Date accessed: 20 dec. 2025.
doi: https://doi.org/10.2298/YJOR250715038P.
Issue
Section
Research Articles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
