Iranian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development Research
Year:2014 | Volume:44 | Issue:4|Papers Count:14

Considering the importance of agriculture sector for production, employment and establishing food security, different countries include developed and developing ones, support mentioned sectors in various ways. Present study investigates the effects on government support policies on Iran's food security using VECM and time series data of 1990-2010. Results revealed that government support policies had direct effect on Iran's food security index. Hence, one percent increase in agriculture sector supports improves food security by 0.005 percent. it is so necessary to adopt the policies for supporting producers in agriculture sector in order to reduce production costs and improve quality and productivity. also, increasing private sector willing for investing in agriculture sector and expanding agriculture commodities insurance for reducing risks and uncertainty and Persuasion farmers for producing more and better crops and enhancing food security, is evitable.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the response of consumers to changes in income and prices of chicken meat in the short run and long run. In order to achieve this goal, Vector Auto Regression (VAR) and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) have been applied to data since 1974 to 2007. Impulse response function (IRF) calculation indicated that past and present consumption of chicken have the grates impact on this variable in future periods. Also, on price momentum in the first period clearly reduce the consumption of these products; however, effect of this shock is decreasing in the second and third period and finally it tends to zero. Plus, long run results indicate that red meat is not suitable substitute for chicken; hence, meat price adjustment cannot be a useful tool to be considered for regulation of poultry price in market. Moreover, price elasticity of chicken showed that poultry is an essential commodity and increase in its price doesn’t have a significant impact on its consumption.

The objective of this descriptive- survey research was to analysis challenges of commercialization of agricultural research in Iranian agricultural colleges. The statistical population of the study consisted of faculty members of Iranian agricultural colleges (N= 1837) out of which 150 faculty members determined as sample using Cochran Formula and multi steps sampling technique. This study was conducted with a quantitative approach and the data were collected by a questionnaire developed for the study and were analyzed by SPSS software. The validity of the questionnaire was approved by a panel of experts. In order to measure the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach Alpha coefficients were calculated (0.83 to 0.92). The result indicated that in relation to prioritizing challenges of commercialization as perceived by faculty members, educational and infrastructural- supportive were in the highest ranks. Also, the result of exploratory factor analysis showed that challenges of commercialization of research in agricultural colleges were to be formed in seven distinctive factors including: infrastructural- supportive, educational, communicational, technical, organizational, financial and policy factors that these factors determined about 57.40 percent of variance.

The main objective of present research was to study the necessity of reconsideration in agriculture curriculum planning with emphasis on the participation of faculty members in curriculum planning. population was consist of 158 Agricultural colleges and universities faculty members of Khuzestan province that 113 of them were selected randomly with respect to size of each class. A questionnaire was used for data collection. Its validity was approved by faculty members and its reliability was determine by, Cronbach's alpha (a=0.79, 0.88, 0.71). The results showed that the ranking "the merits of the various groups to participate in the curriculum planning from the perspective respondents" faculty members have most competence in this area. In Prioritized strategies of increase the quality agricultural fields curricula, "Developing a specialized areas curriculum Based on scientific principles and procedures and by qualified professionals" and "Appropriateness of curriculum content with the progress of the today advances" had most importance. The results of T-test also showed that faculty members with different personal and professional characteristics have agreement on weakness of curriculum planning system desirability and there is no significant difference between them. The results of correlation test showed a positive relationship in 0.01, 0.05 per cent level between among. The desires for faculty participation in academic curriculum planning, "Faculty familiarity with the necessary principle for academic curriculum planning", "Imagine the ability of faculty to participate in academic curriculum planning" and "faculty information rate about academic curriculum planning current" F-test results also showed a significant difference between faculty members information with a various scientific rank.

Current research aimed to analyze intention for self-employment, identify requirements for starting own-business and has explained factor contribution on self-employment intentions among students. This applied research used quantitative paradigm and carried out based on survey strategy. The statistical population of this study consisted of all agricultural who study in Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in term 2011-2012. (N=1618). The sample size (n=192) was determinated by Cochran's formula and respondents was selected by stratified sampling technique. A questionnaire was used as research tool in order to collect data. Results showed that 64.1% and 8.43% of respondents have high preferences for "recruitment for governmental sectors" and "intention to start an own- business" as intended options to do after post-graduation. Result of ranking requirements for self-employment revealed that, "have physical resources and infrastructures for production", "benefiting from special business trainings" and "having job experience in related field" have high important while respondents have low advantages in this factors. Findings of factor analyzing indicated that six factor namely; personal and professional motivations, job and professional preferences, job and professional advancement, financial and welfare needs, personal capability and social usefulness explained 78.72 of the total variances for determinants of self-employment intentions.

The first step in planning for rural development is the identification of villages’ situation. For allocating funds and resources among villages, it is essential identifying villages in aspect of social and economical development. For ranking villages based on various factors, agriculture, health, infrastructure, political and administrative, communications, services, education and culture, and population. In this study, methods of numerical taxonomic methods has been used with combining the various indicators specify degree of development in lowland villages of Ardakan- Yazd. This study has investigated 48 village of Yazd-Ardakan Plain with full count approach inclusiving guide plan in 2009 and has sorted and grouped according to the present data. The results show that each village can be ranked in different factors that it is not equal with total rank. Villages of Torkabad, Mohammadabad and Befroie have ranks of once to third respectively. Densely populated rural does not have the appropriate degree of development necessarily. These rankings can be used as a base for planning in rural areas.

Rejection of pressurized irrigation by farmers is the problem in the agricultural sector in the north of the Khouzestan province. As the statistics show, only five percent of the farmers used to do this type of irrigation systems. Therefore, in this study by using field study and Logit model, causes of rejecting pressurized irrigation methods in three townships Shosh. Andymeshk and Dezful have been studied. Farmer's society is divided to two groups: modern irrigation and traditional users. In the first group there is information from 51 users by using census methods and in the second group there are 173 farmers by using stochastic sampling methods in 2009-2010 cultivation seasons. Study results show that small pieces, loan getting method and ownerless land are the most important obstructive factors in use of modern irrigation systems. Having education, land ownership and bigger cultivator are Booster factors of willingness to accept. But age and number of pieces have negative impact on farmer's attitude in use of modern irrigation systems.

The purpose of this study was to analysis to influencing factors on the reducing inputs in Participatory Technology Development (PTD) Project of Watershed Honam in Lorestan Province. The research projects PTD, is one of the Resilience livelihood projects from Global Challenge Program for Water and Food (CP) to carry out central challenge link two categories is water operation and Resilience livelihood in the semi- dry regions. A survey method was used for the study, and 187stakeholders were randomly selected as a sample out of 126 stakeholders who were working in the project and finally 114 questionnaires was collected and 78 perceptions were census selected as a sample and finally 67 questionnaires was collected. Data was collected by a questionnaire as the tool of the study. The instrument was assessed for face and content validities by a panel of faculty members in agricultural college of Tehran and Tarbiat Modares University. Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient Value of questionnaire achieved 0.89-0.94. Based on the findings and conclusions, it was found that these five factors were significant in sector stakeholders of participatory technology development plan and 65.43 percent total variance were explained: 1. Water Resources Management, 2. Cost sharing, 3. Employment Capacity and 4. Fight more effectively with weeds. Other results showed that four factors were significant in sector agents of participatory technology development plan and 80.02 percent total variance were explained: 1.Human Resource Management- Production, 2. Operational, 3. Credit, 4. Flexibility.

Human resource development is one of the effective methods for increasing efficiency and optimum use of individual and group abilities and especially faculty members in order to achieve organizational goals. Therefor the purpose of this descriptive-survey research was validation (confirmatory factor analysis) of the necessary components for human resource development (faculty members) of colleges of agriculture. The statistical population consisted of the faculty members of the Colleges of Agriculture (N=1837), which included 284 members which has been selected trough multi-stage sampling method as the sample. The research instrument was a questionnaire and its validity was assessed by a group of faculty members and experts from the University of Tehran and the reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed using software Lisrel 8.54. Results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that personal development, socio-cultural, professional, organizational and educational development of faculty members were the main components. The comparison of components among universities showed that the component of the socio-cultural development, professional development, organizational development and educational development of faculty members were significant differences among large, medium and small universities.

The purpose of present work is to survey cultural and social factors affecting the attitudes of Shirvan and Chardavol county farmers toward agricultural water management. Data was gathered through a field research and survey, using interviews and the questionnaire that was prepared for this purpose. The statistical population consisted of all the farmers (wheat cultivators) of Shirvan & Chardavol county (over 9250 people), that among them as the statistical samples, 192 people were selected through a random level-sampling method using Cochrane formula. The validity of the prepared questionnaire was obtained by using comments from related experts and university teachers and applying the necessary changes. The reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was obtained through a preliminary test, and by using SPSS software Cronbach alpha coefficient was obtained equal to 0.8. The results of this study show that between the parameters of, farmers performance (in irrigated wheat field), the rate of promoting contacts, the rate of usage of communication channels, the rate of social participation, and the expertise of the users, and the parameter of farmers attitudes toward agricultural water management a positive and meaningful relationship exists. However, between the mean values of attitudes of the farmers toward agricultural water management, in terms of use of the extension services, membership in production cooperatives and rural organizations, a meaningful difference exists.

Risk and uncertainty in agricultural activities are being considered by agricultural producers as main obstacle in adopting new technologies and also mentioned as a hinder for the new agricultural investment. Risk management is important and should be taken into account since uncertainty is inherent in the price and production as well as income of the farmers. In this paper, we study the role of insurance in mitigating and transferring risk and also as one of strategies of risk management in poultry production. In this direction, the required information is gathered by questionnaire from 41 poultry farms in Khoy area, among the insured and non-insured farmers, for the first period of the chicken production in 1388. By concentrating on the performance of the two groups of insured and non-insured farmers, we compare the average number of the labour force in both groups, the age and the number of the farmer's family in both groups and finally we compare the social and individual characteristics of the farmers for both groups. The comparison for the aforementioned characteristics between both groups show that there is no significant difference between insured and non-insured farms. However, we show that the average years of being in the poultry industry is longer for the insured farmers. Moreover, our quantitative analysis based on the estimation of the production function reveals that insurance does not have any significant impact on the poultry production in Khoy area.

The purpose of this present study is recognizing suitable extension methods and techniques influencing utilize knowledge, attitude and skills of natural resources perimeter sustainable management of Natural Resources. In this research sustainable management of natures resources is to struggle for prevention of changing renewable nature resources to lands agricultural, prevention of use more from capacity growth of natures resources, sapling to generate, seed and sapling to sow and excavation, observance laws concern use of nature resources and to collect products forest and pasture. The methodological approach in the research is a descriptive – correlation study of the survey typ. The target population includes around 54330 families of farmers, who are active in upon nature’s sources. Studied sample populations were calculated basis on Cochran formula with 287 persons and method of stratified sampling was use. The collection of information has been done by filling out of questionnaire. In order to prepare this questionnaire, the view points and recommendations of members of the faculty agricultural and nature resource Islamic Azad University branch of Birjand and some experts in nature resource. Reliability of research questionnaire was calculated by alpha cronbach coefficient of different parts of questionnaire was more than 0.80 which shows a high level of reliability. The results of descriptive findings showed that farmers knowledge perimeter sustainable management of natural resources with mean 22.4 and standard deviation 8.9 was at about average level, attitude perimeter sustainable management of natural resources with mean 55.93 and standard deviation 10.62 was at about positive relatively level, also farmers skills perimeter sustainable management of natural resources with mean 22.49 and standard deviation 8.9 was at about average level. Attitude perimeter sustainable management of natural resources with mean 55.93 and standard deviation 10.62 was at about positive relatively level, also farmers skills perimeter sustainable management of natural resources with mean 22.4 and standard deviation 8.9 was at about average level. The result of stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that arrangement %67, %65 and %58 of the variability in farmers knowledge, attitude and skills perimeter sustainable management of natural resources could be explained by variables of independents.

The purpose of this study was to identify challenges and problems of agricultural graduates' unemployment as well as to find available solutions for this problem. Required information has been collected through quantitative-qualitative methodologies using both questionnaire and interview tools. The validity of the questionnaire was verified by professors majoring in agriculture. Reliability of the questionnaire was also calculated by using Cronbach's Alpha test and it was 0.91 (a=0.91).data analysis in quantitative part was done by a factor analysis method and a key words in context (KWIC) method of content analysis was utilized for qualitative section. Results showed that injuries from agricultural graduates' unemployment can be divided into seven factors. They were injuries from government, labor market, agricultural education system, agricultural professors, teaching and learning, agricultural students, and inadequate information and advisory works for agricultural graduates. Some solutions about improving agricultural graduates' unemployment presented such as emphasis on practical and applied agricultural practices, improvement in teaching quality of agricultural professors, reinforcement of different students' activities, investment and supportive policies for agriculture sector, and labor market collaboration to engage agricultural graduates.

The main objective of this descriptive- suvey research was to analyze components of quality of E-learning in the Iranian agricultural higher education. The statistical population of the study consisted of the graduate students of Iranian agricultural colleges (N=8541), out of which 286 people determined as sample using Cochran Formula and proportionate stratified sampling technique. The data were collected by a questionnaire developed for the study and were analyzed by SPSS win software and LISREL software. The validity of the questionnaire was approved by a panel of expert's judgment. In order to measure the reliability of questionnaire, Cronbach Alpha coefficients were calculated (0.97). Results of prioritizing components of quality of e-learning in the Iranian agricultural higher education showed that learner component was in the first and evaluation component was in the least ranks. For identify of the components of quality of e-learning in the Iranian agricultural higher education discovery factor analysis has been used. In addition in order to investigate the index surpasses model, confirmation factor analysis and structural equations model has been used. The results showed that components of quality of E-learning in the Iranian agricultural higher education is to be formed in five separate factors including: design- implementation, teacher, infrastructure- supportive, financial- policy and management- evaluation factors that five factors explained about 69.59 percent of variations.