JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS RESEARCH
Year:2010 | Volume:2 | Issue:2|Papers Count:10

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of credit on major agricultural variables such as agricultural exports, producer gross income, cost of fertilizers and the producers price index using Vector Auto-Regressive model. Balanced and long run relations were examined and the long run coefficient ware calculated. Also, the effects of impulses were analyzed using Impulse Response Function. Variance decomposition criterion was used to determine contribution of each variable to changes of other variables in the model. After confirming the balance and the long run relations, the Vector Error Correction method was used to make a link between the long run balanced relations among variables with short run fluctuation. Data for the period of 1981- 2007 were collected from various publications of Central Bank of Iran, PDS economical data base, and International Monetary Fund. Results indicated that, in the long run. Agricultural credit had positive effect on producer price index, agricultural export, and the amount of credit allocated to the agricultural sector for the next period. However, agricultural credit had negative effect on the price of fertilizer in the long run. In addition, in the short run, an increase in agricultural credit had positive influence on the export of agricultural products and producer price index while, it had negative effect on fertilizer price and producer gross income.

Continued inflation and relative price variability could have negative impacts on both groups of producers and consumers. Examination of the relationship between relative price variability and inflation plays a vital role in setting appropriate economic policies. To study the causal relationship between agriculture relative price variability and inflation during 1369- 1387, Granger causality test was used. Also the existence of long- run relationship between variables was examined using Johansen Cointegration test and vector error correction model. Results indicated that there was bilateral positive relation between inflation and agriculture relative price variability in the short– run, but in the long-run there was unidirectional causality from inflation to relative price variability.

Urban parks have recreational values for people leisure activities. Daglar Bagi park are located close to Khoy city in western Azarbaijan. The park provides some services to the city's inhabitants. In this article, demand function for recreation in Khoy forest park was estimated using household production function of Gary Backer. The relationship between recreation demand, time of travel and recreational services was determined. Results indicated that demand for recreation in Khoy forest parks was related to the quality of park services, income of visitors and shadow price. Moreover, the result showed that the recreational shadow price was amounted to752 Rials

During last four decades, growth of energy use in the Iranian agricultural sector has exceeded its production growth. Energy subsidy is believed to be one of the reasons. Because of the high financial burden of energy subsidy for the government, it is necessary to reconsider the energy use pattern. The objective of this study is to analyze the role of energy in the agricultural sector. The applied concepts are production function, causality and changes in energy intensity. Dataset used were time series covering 1353- 84 (1974- 2005) periods. Results of the production function estimate showed significant impact of energy on agricultural production and 10 percent increase in energy use was expected to increase agriculture production by 4.1 percent. It was also found that energy consumption had a positive impact on various subsectors (except forestry) value added but the reverse relation was not confirmed. The findings also showed that decrease in real price of energy caused an increase in energy intensity, however, technology progress and substitution of capital and labor may decrease the energy intensity.

Fuel is one of the important inputs used in the agricultural sector. It is supplied to farmers with a price much lower than its world price, and takes up a large share of subsidy payment in Iran. Recently, government has decided to eliminate the fuel subsidy. This was a motivation to study the effect of subsidy removal on unit cost of irrigated wheat is In Iran. To this end, first, Aggregate Measure of Support (AMS) was computed and the share of fuel in AMS was specified. Then, a restricted translog cost function was estimated, using data over period 1987-2006. Finally, the effect of elimination of subsidy on unit cost of irrigated wheat was computed using irrigation water and machinery cost elasticity derived from the estimated parameters of cost function. Results indicated that fuel constitutes the largest share of AMS so that in 2005, this share accounted for 83 percent of calculated AMS. Also, results revealed that overall elimination of fuel subsidy would result in an increase of 438.98Rials, equivalent to 26 percent in price of wheat in Iran. This result suggests that decision on removing fuel subsidy must be taken with caution and gradually.

Cultivated area of almond in Iran is amounted to 146055 hectares with almost 10% in Yazd province. In this paper various problems in domestic marketing of almond were investigated. Data were collected from a sample of producers and various marketing agents. In this study marketing channels were recognized and wholesale and retail margin and marketing efficiency were determined. For determining almond comparative advantages, domestic resources cost (DRC) criterion was used. Results showed that fluctuation of prices during harvesting season and uncertainty of market was among important marketing problems facing producers. Marketing services were limited and services such as grading and packaging were done rarely. Local buyers played an important role in almond market and producer share of retail price of almond was over the 50%. Efficiency of almond market was over 18 percent.

Productivity improvement plays an important role in growth of agricultural production throught the world. Cotton is one of the important industrial crops in Iran. In this study, total factor productivity (TFP)  changes for period of 1378 -1386 in 12 provinces of Iran were determined. They had significant share in cotton production compare to other factors.. In this study chemical fertilizer, seed, labor and pesticides were considered inputs and total production of cotton output. Convergence tests of b and g were done on productivity index. Results showed that productivity had negative growth of -0.008% in Iran during study period and vibrations of productivity growth was mainly due to technical changes. Based on findings of the study, increase in investment for technology improvement in agricultural sector was recommended.

With respect to importance of kabkab dates marketing, the objective of this research was to study dates domestic marketing and problems in kazeroon region. The data were collected using Stratified Random Sampling Method (SRS) from a sample of 40 producers, 28 wholesalers and retailers through filling up questionnaires. Marketing margins, marketing efficiency, marketing margin functions were determined. Findings of the study showed that marketing inefficiency and marketing cost coefficient were higher in the channel that more agents were involved. Estimating marketing margin functions of Kabkab dates showed significant effects of retail price, marketing cost and value of soled product on the marketing margin. Finally, some recommendations such as extending credit to rural cooperatives and private sector were made to improve dates marketing in the region.