JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND EDUCATION RESEARCH
Year:2011 | Volume:4 | Issue:2 (14)|Papers Count:10

Managers of agricultural cooperatives were surveyed in order to explore their perception about the barriers and constraints in creating employment in agricultural cooperatives of Iran. The methodology used in this study involved a combination of descriptive and quantitative research. The total population was 250 cooperatives in six provinces in Iran.Based on the perception of the respondents and ordinal factor analysis, the factors were categorized into seven groups, namely informative, technical, marketing, structural, management, regulatory and financial that ordered by the magnitude of their impact. The result of multiple regression showed that 3 variables, include informative, financial and technical barriers as independent variables entered in regression equation in 3 steps and totally had determined 30 percent of changes in perception of respondent about constraints in creating employment in agricultural cooperatives.

The purpose of this study was to assess the factors influencing the quality of credit services by funds for supporting agricultural development. This is an applied research with descriptive/correlative and survey methods. The research population consisted of all 215 managers of these funds. A questionnaire was prepared to collect the information, and data was analyzed by using the SPSS soft ware. The results of the correlation indicated that there was a positive relation between independent variable of quality of credit services and mutual respect among associations and fund, participation of associations in the funds activities, diversifies range of membership, awareness of the members and funds managers, initial capital of the funds, the government and associations capital in the funds, increasing capital of the funds, duration time and amount of facility payment, kind of facilities, proper assessment of customers, management of the funds by associations, the educational level of the fund's managers, experiences of the fund's managers in agricultural sector, working experience in agricultural associations, monitoring and consultative role of holding company in fund, ease in payment and supporting of associations during crises as dependent variables. The results of multiple stepwise regression shows that on time service payment, ease in payment, mutual respect between association, and duration time of their management in agricultural sector predicated 40 percent of dependent variable.

Rice-Fish aqua culture is practiced mainly to improve the income of small farmers. It requires very little input and provides off-season employment to farm labors. It has been observed that combination of rice and fish farming is mutually beneficial. Although, in implementation, it can be faced many challenges and it demands several requirements.This study was conducted to identify requirements of promoting integrated rice-fish farming in Gilan province. To achieve this aim, a theoretical framework is presented, based on previous research. The research population included all the experts in Gilan's Department of Agriculture (N=272) using a census study. The initial and follow-up mailing generated 250 useable responses from experts. The factorial analysis classified the requirements into eight latent variables named: educational methods, culture, facilitating role, communication skills, human recourse development, economic, transfer of technology, infrastructure requirements.

The purpose of theis study was to analyze the factors influencing the tomato's marketing problems in Shushtar and Dezful Townships, Khuzestan province. Moreover, values of wholesale and retail marketing margins as well as share of marketing agents in total margin, marketing cost coefficient, technical, price and total efficiency are computed. The marketing margin function based on mark up, relative margin and marketing cost models have been estimated. Required data are gathered using documentary and survey methods.By random sampling and questionnaire was completed by 50 producers, 40 wholesalers and 36 retailers. The main findings revealed that the average price of sample producers is 870 Rial, while same figure for wholesalers and retailers is 2120 and 5210 Rial, respectively. Share of producers, wholesalers and retailers in final price is 16.69, 24 and 59.30 per cent, respectively. The highest efficiency at retail level refers to the price efficiency which is 90.8 percent then is total efficiency (77.65 percent) and technical efficiency (86.87 percent). The estimated marketing margin functions show the positive relation between marketing margin and retail price.

The purpose of this research is to fractionize borders areas by using TOPOSIS technique. All borders areas including 100 districted border fractions and rural villages– except sea borders. The results based on calculated Ci* showed that this amount are 0.12 (for minimum) for Saleh-Abad district of Mehran city in Ilam province and 0.47 (for maximum) for Khabushan district of Faarooj city in Khorasan province. The average is 0.32. Therefore the changing range of rural areas developing level has been estimated 0.348 for 100 country border fractions. Also 46 border fractions were under average developing index and 44 border fraction were upper than this index. Analysis of variance showed the significance difference among province developing index. The Northern Khorasan and Eastern Azarbaijan provinces had the highest and Sistan-O-Baluchestan had the lowest developing level among province border fractions.

The main objective of this article is to analyze factors affected the participation of faculty members in scientific and research activities and investigation of barriers. The research design was a descriptive and correlation surveying method. Faculty members of Islamic Azad University, Shoushtar Branch were the target population for this study. By census method all of population were surveyed (N=43). The main result of the study revealed that there was significant correlation between the interested in scientific and research activities, rate of using web sites in internet, relationship with research centers, age, educational level, interested in educational activities with level of participation of faculty members in scientific and research activities. The variables interested in scientific and research activities, rate of using web sites in internet, relationship with research centers and educational level explained for 61 percent of changes in participation of faculty members in scientific and research activities.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness wheat self sufficiency plan from the point of view of agricultural advisor specialists in Ilam province. Descriptive-correlation method was used in this study. The sample population of the study was 135 advisors who participated in the plan within 2001-2006. The instrument (questionnaires) validity was confirmed and corrected based on opinion of a panel of experts. A reliability analysis was conducted and Cronbach's alpha coefficient value was measured to be 0.89.The result of Spearman correlations test show that there was a positive relationship between dependent variable and contacts of advisors with farmers, using educational tools, the attitude of advisors regarding plan, advisors contacts with educational centers, using different educational methods by advisors, the number of farmers under coverage of advisors, technical support of department of agriculture, the amount of land under advisor’s supervision, knowledge about plan’s problems and obstacles as independent variables.

This study was done to identify the possible risks in production and application of biotechnology from the viewpoint of extension experts in ministry of agriculture. This study was an applied type research and was done by casual/correlative method. The population of the research was all extension experts of the ministry of agriculture. The tool for data collection was questionnaire that was used after confirmation of its validity and reliability. The findings of the study indicated that from the viewpoint of experts, the most important risks in agricultural biotechnology applications were the effects of unintended risks on basic resources and the loss of some beneficial insects and organisms with pests.The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that the two variables of biodiversity reduction and random change of sleeping genes explain 56.1 percent of variations of the production of GMO products. Meanwhile, based on another regression analysis, 52.1 percent of variance of the biotechnology application in agriculture is explained by the variables of risks to animal welfare and biodiversity reduction.