JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS RESEARCH
Year:2012 | Volume:3 | Issue:4 (12)|Papers Count:12

This paper aims to study factors affecting rapeseed expansion in Kerman province. For this purpose, samples of 83 and 56 rapeseeds growers and non growers were selected and interviewed. Tobit econometric model was used to determine effective factors. The results of study revealed that the influential factors affecting farmers to decide to expand rapeseed cultivated area were age, level of education, previous experience, yield in previous year, crop diversity and attending extension training courses. Finally, some recommendations were made to persuade farmers to increase area under rapeseeds production.

In this paper, demand is estimated for 8 main food groups' for1974 -2006 periods by using reversed almost ideal demand system. Results indicated that meat groups had the highest own price elasticity equal to -1.04, and dairy groups had the lowest own price elasticity equal to 0.77In addition, the results of the quantity changes of products in relation to their prices under various scenarios showed that if the quantity of food groups decreases (increases) in the market; their prices would increase (decrease) accordingly. However, the amount of price changes for various groups would not be identical and is related to scale and price elasticity of each group. In order to stabilize food market it is suggested that the annual amount of supply of each food group regulated based on elasticity estimation, production, and import, export control.

Evaluation of strategies of agricultural sector facilitates to identify bottlenecks and limitations in the process of national development and helps, on the other hand, to make changes if seems necessary. This article aims to evaluate strategies of agriculture sector during the past two decades using descriptive approach based on Delfi method. Assessment of the documents related to the past four Five Year Development Plans indicated that more than a hundred policies and strategies pertaining to the agricultural development have been passed by the Islamic Consultative Assembly. Out of these policies, those which had important role in the sector were selected based on principle of strategic management for evaluation. The result of evaluation revealed that in spite of implementing four development plans during the past 20 years, the major technical and environmental problems still exist mainly due to lack of using strategic management principles, low level of management at macro level and poor implementation of policies.

The purpose of this paper is to determine factors affecting demand of citrus producers for agricultural insurance in Babol region. Data were collected from a random sample of citrus producers around Babol Township in 2010. Logit function was used to analyze the situation. Results revealed that orchard size, orchard age, credit, education, and degree of awareness had positive and age, and number of orchard parcels had negative effect on insurance demand. Based on findings of study some recommendations are made to improve the situation notable among them were increase in orchard size and renovation of old orchards.

The paper aims to examine the place of Iran in the export of fennel among ten major exporting countries. For this purpose, RCA, RSCA, MI, c2, CTB indices were calculated. Needed information for calculating indices was gathered from FAO sources. Afghanistan, Bulgaria, China, Egypt, Germany, India, Iran, Singapore, Turkey and Syria were selected for comparison. Based on RCA and RSCA indices, Iran stands in the seventh and sixth position in the export of fennel respectively. On the whole, the results of the other indices showed that Iran had comparative advantage in the export of fennel. But due to existence of variation in these indices, it`s possible to improve present situation by persuading appropriate policies. Thus it is recommended  to recognize and introduce target markets for fennel at international level and support production, processing, marketing and export of fennel.

Despite of increase in broilers production in Iran in recent years, still there is a potential to expand production. It is believed that this sub-sector has not reached the predetermined target mainly due to low productivity. For this reason, this paper aims to determine productivity of broiler production in Gilan province. Data were collected from a sample of 36 broiler producers in 2010.  Logarithmic production function was estimated. The results revealed that four factors namely, feeds, labor, health-care and hatch had significant effect on production.  Among those, feeds and hatch with 0.64 and 0.24 coefficients were ranked on the top respectively. The analysis of partial productivity of production factors indicated that mean and marginal productivity for feeds were 0.38 and 0.24, for labor 0.003 and 0.00027, for hatch 0.0015 and 0.00043, and for health-care 0.003 and 0.00024 respectively. Computation of inputs used (allocation of production factors) showed that the mean amount for feeds, labor and hatch were 1.54, 0.00027 and 0.0003 respectively. Further, to disclose the performance of broiler farms, series of investigations were run and finally came up with 90% as the mean technical efficiency.

In this study productivity and efficiency of dairy farms and the effect of each factor on production in Guilan province were investigated. A sample of Thirty two dairy farms were selected by using two stage clustering approach. The results of total factor efficiency (TFP) by using tornquist-til index showed that the average total factor productivity was equal to 0.922. The results showed that one percent increase in production capacity and one percent decrease in feed cost of farms would increase, TFP by 0.336 and 0.691 percent respectively. In addition, artificial insemination, improving energy productivity, increases in level of education would lead to improve TFP. Result of efficiency estimation showed that dairy farms were not fully efficient in using production inputs. Based on the results, allocating financial credit for increase in scale and more efficient extension services could increase total factor productivity.

This paper aims to assess the impacts of factors affecting private investment in agriculture with emphasis on the real exchange rate and its uncertainty by using time series data for1967-2006 period. First, by using Generalized Auto-Regressive Conditional Heteroskedactisity (GARCH) model, Exchange rate uncertainty was estimated and then by using Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method the variables were estimated. The results showed that real exchange rate and its uncertainty, both in the long and short run, had negative impact on investment in agriculture. In addition, findings of the study suggest that increase in agricultural credit and prices would encourage private investment in the agricultural sector.

This article aims to examine issues in marketing and export of dates in Khozestan province as one of the most important date producing areas in the country. To this end, marketing margins, share of marketing agents, marketing costs and various efficiency indices for five varieties of dates (Kbkab, Gantar, Estameran, Bereim and Zahedi) were calculated. Also, marketing margin functions by using models of mark-up, relative margin and marketing cost were estimated.  Needed data were collected from a sample of 240 farmers and marketing agents. Results showed that the highest technical efficiency was related to Astmran variety (67%) and lowest were related to Kabkab (13%). Price efficiency for various date varieties were too high. Function estimation results indicated that marketing margins in the mark-up and relative margin models had  direct relationship with retail price and marketing margin in the marketing cost model had  direct relationship with marketing cost . The results showed that covariance between export price and quantities were equal to 0.046 which indicated the existence of fluctuations in product demand which causes instability in export earnings. Based on the findings of the study, formation of marketing cooperatives and more efficient extension services has been recommended.

This paper aims to measure recreational value and willingness to pay for Chahnimeh recreational site which is located in Zabol in Sistan and Baloochestan province. For this purpose, contingent valuation method was used. Also, logit model was estimated to find out factors affecting willingness to pay of people who visited Chaahnimeh. Data were collected from a sample of 142 visitors through filling up questionnaires and interview in spring of 2011. Results showed that 93% of visitors were willing to pay for visiting Chahnimeh. Also, coefficients of proposed amount, income, gender, and occupation, number of visits and interest to maintain Chahnimeh environment were significant at 5% level. The average willingness to pay for each visit was 3,920 Rials and annual recreational value was 1.568 billion Rials. Number of annual visits had negative effect on the amount of willingness to pay. Finally, some recommendations are made to improve present situation.