JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS RESEARCH
Year:2015 | Volume:6 | Issue:4 (24)|Papers Count:8

Savings in a society including rural communities could be a prelude to the formation of capital and promotion of economic development. This paper aims to modeling the rural household savings and the effect of different policy scenarios on it. For this purpose, mathematical modeling approaches have been used. Needed data collected through interviews and filling up questionnaires from sample of 184 rain-fed wheat grower households in Razan County, in 92-1391 crop year. Results of the study revealed that households with 5-7 members and more than 40 hectare of land had the highest level of savings, and households with more than 7 members and less than 5 hectares of land had the lowest level of savings. Also findings of the study suggest that the implementation of a policy scenario based on a 50 percent increase in subsidy, and 20 percent increase in households, income would have the greatest impact on the situation of household savings.

In the present study, Lar dam water management was investigated to optimize water extraction. For this purpose, Inexact five stage stochastic programming combined with dynamic optimization framework was used. Needed data were collected from regional water organization and Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Company for 1986 to 2013. The results showed that in the worst condition urban and agricultural sector would face water shortage of (0, 54) and (0, 48) million cubic meters, respectively in the next three years. Reduction of 0.8 cubic meters in monthly water consumption of urban sector and 12 percent increase in efficiency of water used for irrigation in the agricultural sector of downstream of Lar Dam is a solution to combat water shortages in coming three years.

This paper aims to determine efficiency and waste management of broilers farms in Fars province. For this purpose, stochastic frontier production function was used. Data were collected from a random sample of broiler producers through interview. Results showed that average efficiency of broiler farms was 37.4 percent and efficiency of majority of farms wasbelow 80 percent. The result also indicated that most of farmers used part of wastesin reasonable ways and burn the other part. Finally, some recommendations are made to improve efficiency and waste management.

This paper aims to analyze sustainability of paddy farms in Rasht Township in the Northern of Iran. For this purpose, Asset sustainability approach was used. Statistical population of this study consisted of all paddy farmers in Rasht township (N=84772) A sample size of 401 farmers was selected and interviewed. Questionnaire included 42 indicators and 13 components for five sustainable livelihood capitals (physical, human, social, financial and natural). The results showed that none of six counties in Rasht township was sustainable level in terms of asset sustainability, but human capital was in better condition in comparison with other capitals. Sangar County had high levels of natural and physical capitals, and level of financial and human capitals were high in Central (Markazi) county and social capital in Khomam county was higher in comparison with other counties.

In this paper we study, in first place, the trends of investment in agricultural sector and food price index in Iran during 1986-2011 period and then, we determine the effects of such investment on food price index by using Auto Regressive Distributed Lags (ARDL) and bound testing approach. The results revealed that food price index had negative relationship with investment in agriculture, food production and degree of economic openness. Also, food price index had positive relationship with per capita income, exchange rate and population. Therefore, to reduce food price index, increase in agriculture investment was recommended.

Land is a natural resource and a major factor of production. It is a commodity that both in terms of the location and the quality is uneven. This paper aims to determine the factors affecting the value of agricultural land in Ghaemshahr Township in Northern of Iran. For this purpose Hedonic method is used. Needed data were collected from a sample of 70 farmers in 2013.Results showed that land area, land quality and distance from the railroad had positive and distance from forest, distance from the city center and the distance from main road had negative effect on land prices. The average price of land in Ghaemshahr township for 1000 m2 estimated to be around 436 million Rials. Based on the findings of the study building better road and imposing limitations on land use were recommended.

Excess exploitation of groundwater has caused negative balance and irreversible decline of aquifer volume. In the present study, water balance of Neishabur catchment calculated using renewable and consumption index {consumption ratio to renewable water} in three years of normal, wet and dry weather. The optimum cropping patterns based on renewable water levels in the region was determined. The results showed that about 43,000 hectares of land were irrigated illegally. Also, the results of the study showed that shadow price of water in the spring was between 804.7 -1607, in summer between 200 -3050 and in autumn and winter between 0 -430 Rials. Estimates of farmers, response to changes in water prices showed that with increase in water prices, the probability of using water more efficiently would increase.

The cooperative department is an appropriate field for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship which provides the background necessary to reduce the government's intervention. The present study was carried out in order to pay attention and to give importance to the cooperative culture in 2013. The aim of research was to respond to uncertainty role of native model in cooperatives culture in the country as well as explain the driving and inhibiting factors in agriculture department of Gilan province. A random sample of fifty five expers were selected and and interviewed. Results of study showed thatihibiting factors had high and very high and driving factors had littel effect on agriculture cooperative culture. Results of t-test comparison between driving and inhibitor factors indicated that the inhibitor factors had greater impact than driving factors on cooperative culture. Results of Friedman rank test showed that, ranks of driving factors were individual and environmental and ranks of the inhibitor factors were individual, group, organizational and environmental, respectively.