SIMULATION BASED RANKING OF VEGETABLE CASH CROPS FOR SUSTAINABLE GREENHOUSE FARMING PRACTICES.

Choosing vegetable crops in greenhouse farming plays a significant role in the feasibility of sustainable farming practices. The selected crop affects the economic and environmental conditions which in turn influence the sustainability of farming practices. Therefore, a systematic approach is needed to prioritize the most suitable vegetable crop for sustainable farming practices. The current research focuses on prioritizing vegetable crops grown in green house farming in the environment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which takes into account comprehensive criteria related to sustainable farming practices. Five major criteria including crop field area, crop field production, cost of production, price of sale and the usage of water have been selected for the five major vegetable crops grown in the green chamber farming of KSA to determine the most sustainable one. The multiple attribute-based decision making (MADM) model has been developed taking into account the KSA Green House Chamber farming system. The research work reported in this study provides useful information for greenhouse farming in Saudi Arabia in particular and also helps policymakers to formulate effective regional policies to improve the gross domestic product and make farmers self-reliant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]