Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development
Year:2019 | Volume:27 | Issue:106 |Papers Count:11

Water market as a significant economic means plays an important role in the optimal allocation of water resources in agriculture and also has significant effects in determining the cropping pattern and improving the welfare of farmers. With this approach, this study aimed at investigating the role of the water market on the use of water resources in Mashhad plain of Iran (Mashhad, Chenaran, and Torghabeh-Shandiz Counties) in farming year of 2013-14. For this purpose, the model of positive mathematical programming (PMP) and functions of regional production of agricultural products (SWAP) were used. The data were collected by Morgan sampling and Krejcie from 350 questionnaires completed randomly with farmers by referring to the organizations concerned. The results showed that following the formation of water market in the region, cropping patterns were directed towards products with higher profitability; also, substantial water-saving was achieved in the region, so that after the formation of the water market, water consumption decreased in the above-mentioned Counties by 37, 23. 85 and 29. 09 percent, respectively, indicating the usefulness of the formation of water market in order to reduce the use of water resources in the region.

This study was performed using data from 165 households in 13 areas of Mashhad County of Iran. A stratified sampling method was used to determine the sample size. Firstly, factors affecting the consumer's awareness of organic products were analyzed by using the Probit model in propensity score matching method. Then, the effect of consumers’ awareness on their willingness to consume the organic saffron in future was evaluated by estimating the average treatment effect on treatment group. The results from Probit model showed that education, attitude toward quality of organic product labels, environmental concerns and attitude toward price of organic products had positive effects on awareness of the organic products. After matching, the difference in average between treatment and control groups decreased for education, attitude toward price of organic products, environmental concerns and attitude toward quality of organic product labels. The results from estimating the average treatment effect on treatment group showed that the organic saffron future consumption among units of treatment group was 66 percent greater than those in control group. So, awareness of organic products had stimulus and positive effect on the willingness to consume the organic saffron in future. Therefore, in order to stimulate demand and increase sales, it was recommended to producers and suppliers of the organic products to use advertisements to inform consumers.

Drought is a natural hazard that causes the production and income losses and has severe effects on the poor households. In this context, a comprehensive assessment of economic impacts of drought provides critical information to drought mitigation policies and programs. To this end, the effects of drought on the output and employment of Iran's economy as a whole were examined using two models including a single-regional computable general equilibrium (CGE) and a multi-regional computable general equilibrium (MRCGE) model. Applied data were obtained from the social accounting matrix (SAM) of year 2001 and Iranian input-output table of year 2006. The drought defined as lower access to water was considered in three scenarios of weak, moderate and sever options. The results obtained from single-regional CGE model indicated that GDP decreased by 1. 7 to 5. 5 percent based on the severity of drought; the corresponding values for MRCGE were 2. 2-6. 4 percent. Reduction of regional gross output for Kerman, Hamedan, Fars, and Ardabil provinces were more than those for other provinces. As shown by the results, a decrease in output induced a fall in employment, but a reduction in employment was found lower than those of output. Finally, the study recommended developing the water-saving measures as well as creating more jobs in rural industries.

The yield of pistachio production in Kerman province as the main pistachio pole in Iran is very low compared to rival countries such as the United States. In this research, the condition of pistachio production of some farmers in Sirjan County of this province standing in the second place of production in Kerman province was investigated. Because of annual pistachio production issue, the average data of 2014 and 2015 were used. The emphasis of this study is on the role of social capital as a software tool for increasing efficiency and productivity. The findings showed that the average technical efficiency in the presence of social capital was 0. 69. In order to understand the effect of investment in social capital among farmers, the productivity index of Luenberger was calculated based on the directional distance function, which was found to be on order of 12. 5 percent. According to the results, farmers and authorities in the agricultural sector should take appropriate measures to improve the situation of farmers by promoting the various dimensions of social capital.

This study aimed at investigating the economic and technical factors and how they affect the reduction of egg waste in all egg production units in Khorasan Razavi province of Iran in 2014 by using the Structural Equation Model based on Partial Least Squares and the proposed conceptual model. For this purpose, variables were grouped in three categories including managerial, environmental and nutritional factors. The results showed that the greatest effects on reduction of egg waste were respectively related to managerial (0. 840), environmental (0. 654) and nutritional (0. 123) factors. In this conceptual model, as shown by the results, 0. 857 percent of the changes in egg waste were predicted by the Latent Variables. As many of these factors fell into the group of management factors, it might be possible to control them in short term. Among the managerial factors, the variables of main managerial occupation, manager's experience, molting program age, type of ventilation and external parasitic contamination were found to be the most important factors affecting the reduction of egg waste through the Latent variables of management. Finally, it was recommended to appoint experienced managers with the related knowledge to select the appropriate time for molting age and external parasitic control.

Inefficiency of marketing networks of agricultural products and the price differences between sale price by farmers and purchase price by final consumers are the main issues in the marketing of agricultural products. This study aimed mainly at investigating the factors affecting the marketing margins in Neyshabour plain of Iran. For this purpose, within the geographically weighted regression with adaptive cores (GWR-A), the upgraded version of ‘ Mark Up Model’ was used for all crops. Statistics and information were obtained through interviews and questionnaires completed by 366 farmers in 2016. Moran test results showed that there was a positive spatial autocorrelation on the marketing margin of crops. The results of GWR model indicated a positive impact of marketing costs and retail prices in most areas is positive and a negative impact of cultivated areas on the marketing margins. Also, the coefficients of the Mark Up Model were estimated regionally and with respect to farmer’ s location. Finally, a number of suggestions were made, including: reforming the marketing network in order to reduce the margin of the market, using statistical methods based on the location of data in similar studies, reforming the market system and the sale of products based on the development of professional commerce companies, implementing the special information plans related to the market information on agricultural products as well as the implementation of specific cultural and social programs.

Economic activities have a wide range of environmental impacts such as forest degradation, Surface and underground water pollution and air pollution. Mazandaran province of Iran is very rich in surface and underground water and has many rivers due to its natural characteristics. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between water pollution and economic growth in this province within the framework of Kuznets' environmental curve using panel data and generalized method of moments (GMM) during 2001-2014. The study results showed that the water pollution index was positively correlated with urbanization variable, GDP and its cubes and had a negative relation to GDP squared. The results also showed an N-shaped relationship between the water pollution and other variables. Positive third-rate gross domestic product (GDP) indicated an increase in the water pollution associated with economic development, which suggested that the government should make the necessary decisions to prevent further contamination.

This study aimed at evaluating the yield of grapes per unit area in two methods of drip irrigation and traditional irrigation using two models of Bisaliah and Logit models and analyzing some of the economic, managerial and environmental factors affecting the adoption of drip irrigation among grape producing farmers in Zabol County of Iran. The required information was obtained using a questionnaire completed from 197 grape farmers in the studied area through a random stratified sampling and library documents. The results from the Bisaliah model showed that the use of drip irrigation had two direct and indirect effects on the increase of grape yield; in case of direct effect, without changes in inputs, the yield per unit area increased by 24. 14 percent and indirectly, with a change in inputs, the yield per unit area increased by 4. 35 percent. In general, the use of drip irrigation in vineyards caused 28. 5 percent change in yield (kg / ha). Also, the results from the Logit model indicated that the variables of farmer’ s age, number of family labor and access to water had negative effects on the adoption of drip irrigation. It was also determined that variables such as farm area, level of literacy, farmer's occupation, land slope, farmer's income, type of land use, educational and extension classes, and availability of credits and facilities had positive and significant effects on the adoption of drip irrigation.

In comparison to other commodities, prices of agricultural products have wider and more intense fluctuations. Knowing the origins of such fluctuations enables policy-makers to have appropriate policies for controlling them as well as it helps farmers to have a safe income. This study examined factors affecting the price fluctuations of chosen vegetables (potato, tomato, onion and cucumber) in major producing provinces of these products in Iran. For this purpose, the regression models with data panel were used. The results showed that origins of risks for the studied products were different and each product and its price had to be considered separately; in addition, for the four studied products, increased interest rates of bank facilities in the agricultural sector exacerbated the fluctuation of the season. A millimeter departure from the average rainfall would increase the price volatilities of cucumbers, potatoes and tomatoes and a degree of deviation of the long-term average temperature would exacerbate cucumber, tomatoes and onions volatilities in the price as well. The results indicated that guaranteed prices, though higher than farm prices, reduced the fluctuation in the season prices of potatoes and onions. So, the study suggested further emphasis on the policy of reduced interest rates of bank facilities in the agricultural sector; and the government should take action toward increasing the guaranteed prices to be particularly effective for perishable products.

The economic, industrial, social and cultural conditions of Iran are in a way that solving different problems requires new patterns and solutions. Broiler chicken farming is one of the country's most important agricultural sub-sectors, which has a substantial role in agricultural production and employment. Considering that productivity plays an important role in economic activities, it is important to determine the productivity and effective factors on it. Therefore, in this research, firstly, the most important criteria affecting the productivity of the factors of production in the broiler chicken industry were identified using experts' opinions. Then, using the best-worst-fuzzy method, these criteria were weighted. For this purpose, 260 questionnaires were given to the broiler production units of West Azerbaijan province through the available sampling method; and after data collection, the data analysis were done on 209 usable questionnaires. The results showed that a total of 21 indicators affected the productivity of the factors of production in the broiler industry, standing within the four main categories of human resources, costs, capital, and materials. The most important indicator was found to be the live poultry selling price, followed by the indicator of breeding period. Finally, it was suggested that identifying such criteria would lead to more effective ways to improve productivity.