Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development
Year:2001 | Volume:9 | Issue:3(35)|Papers Count:14

The main objective of present study was to determine the optimum plan for integrated crop and livestock from farms. Data was collected from with mixed activities of cattle raising and crop production in Marvdasht region, Fars province, as well as from experts in the fields of agronomy and animal science.Then, a representative farm was selected and, using the multi period mathematical programming method, optimum farm plan was developed. In the first year, irrigated wheat was not included in the pattern, due to shortage of capital. In the secound year, alittle irrigated wheat was included, but the area of maize (for feed) and forage crops was reduced. In the third year, farming and livestock activities arrived at an equilliburium in forms of capita level. The optimum areas for irrigated wheat, maize (for"grain), maize (for feedd) and alfa were achieved at, respectively 1,6.5 ,6.5 and 6 hectares. The optimum number of cattle, calves, and heifers, too, was optimized at 30, 20, 20 and 10 , respectively. The sensitivity analysis proved that the planned performance was hishly flexible, and remained constant against fluctuations in input and output prices.The results demonstrated the advantages of dynamic programming over the conventional linear programming technique in determining the optimum farm plans. Intergration of livestock and farming activites was found as one of the effective ways of increasing the return and reducing the risk of investment.

Labor and capital are the two factors that we use to estimate the production function and usually in the process energy as an important factor is ignored. Estimates of regression coefficients would be biased and inconsistent if an important variable that is correlated with other wariables, is ignored.On the other hand, if there is no relation between a variable and other ones, inspite of it appearing unbiased and consistent, variances of coefficients should be taken with more caution. Also the study of the coefficient of different inputs, including energy, would lead us to more correct decisions in economic planning.Because of the importance of the agricultural sector in Iran, in this study we estimate the long-run production function for this sector.Focusing on the defenition of production function, which explains maximum output with combination of inputs, we used potential output (instead of current production), labor and capital in full employment. Because of the special charactrisitics of the agricultural sector in Iran, we should find a specific form of function which can best fit our statistical data. After examining some types of functions like cobb-Douglas, Spillman, Transcendental, CES, Debertin and Translog, we selected Cobb-Douglas function.The important charactristic of this study over the earlier ones including an estimation of production function with or without the energy factor, is that the former also adresses time series problems. In the estimation of the production function, we used the cointegration method to avoid reaching spurious regression which yields from nonstationarity of variables. Because of the weakness of the Engle-Granger, Johansen-Juselius methods, we used the ARDL method in our estimation.As a result we found that in the agricultural sector there is a long-run relation between output and inputs such as labor, capital and energy.This relation satisfied convenient statistical properties. The important coefficient of energy (as other coefficients) is significant and has remarkable impact on production of the agricultural sector.

The constitution of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has governed some new rules on international trade, and all of the countries around the world are affected from thses rules directly or indirectly.Agreement on agriculture (AOA) as results of one of the most controversial WTO negotiations cosists from tree parts: domestic support, market access and export subsidies. This paper puts into consideration the market access commitments of AOA and after identification of non-tariff barriers on Iran agriculture trade regine, calculated respective tariff-equivalent measures.Results indicate that tariff-equivalent measures for selected products are negative, so the respective non-tariff constraints had not any supportive effects on domestic products.

This paper presents the findings of a study made to evaluate the performance of the agricultural insurance program in Iran. The financial performance of the program was measured through comparing compensation payments with administrative costs, using cost-benefit ratio.The study revealed that, in the period of 1984-88, the performance of the program was economically justified, but since 1990 the program was subsidized by the government, due to the expansion of activities. Comparing the finanical performance of the program in Iran with a number of selected countries indicated that the finanical performane of the program was relatively higher than in many other countries. The cost-benefit ratio of the program was 0.803, which confrimed the above results. The paper ends with some recommendations to improve the program.

The first models of Dutch Disease were based on the experiences of resource-rich industrial countries. In these studies resource booms were blamed for de-industrialization. But this has not happened in Iran, because the agricultural sector, not industry, has been suffering the most negative effects of resource boom.This paper tries to evaluate different aspects of the oil boom effect on agricultural sector. Descriptive and analytic methods were used. First the structural change, that happened after oil boom, was studied based on the original model of Dutch Disease. Then, by using the regression method TSLS (Two stage less square), the simultaneous equation models was estimated.The result of the analysis showed that the Dutch Disease had worked a cause of as De-agriculturalization in Iran. Because of a weak relation between the oil and agricultural sector, the increase of oil revenues indirectly affected this sector. Also it was found out that higher import was one of the negative effects of the oil boom on the agricultural sector.

Sizable amount of national resources is spent annually on importing cooking oil. About 94% of the total oil supply is imported. In recent years, the nation has been planning and implementing cultivation programs in order to revers this trend. The third national five year developmental plan stipulates that the domestic production of edible oil should increase from 6% to 40% of the total national demand.The present study examined the farmers attitude toward rapeseed cultivation. The statistical population of the study consisted of all farmers who had cultivated rapeseed in Markazi province over the last two crop years. There were 389 farmers in the statistical population of this study, and 191 of them were selected as samples through a complete randomization technique. This study was a descriptive-correlational, survery research. -A questionnaire was designed to gather the required data. Content validity was achieved by a panel of experts in the field of agricultural extension, agronomy, and oil seeds development research.A pilot study was conducted to determine the reliability of the questionnaire. A Cronbach Alpha Coefficient of 0.897 was achieved for the study.The findings of the study indicated that the majority of the farmers used a loan from banking system to manage their crop. In average, farmers had 4.6 hectares of their land under rapeseed cultivation. Their average yield was 1.98ton/ha., which is about the same as the national average. Majority of the farmers had a postive attitude toward cultivation of rapeseed in the Markazi province. There was statistically significant relationship between farmers attitude toward rapeseed cultivation and their level of professional knowledge. There were a strong positive relationship among farmer participation in extension educational activities, professional satisfaction and their attitude is The result of multivariate regression showed that 27.5% of variability in farmers attitude is due to their participation in extension activities as well as their literacy level.

A partial equiliburium was used to analyze the likely impacts of wheat libralization on welfare in Iran.The findings of the analysis would be .used a basis for forecasting the effect of liberalization in future years. For this purpose, the Halts model was used. The typical results showed that wheat liberalization will decreases the government expenditures, it will also lead to the reduction of subsidy as well as the wheat import. In general, despite some social costs and loss in consumers welfare, the polky of wheat liberalization will have a number of economic advantages, including the acceleration of self-sufficiency.

Agricultural development needs highly qualified human resources.Meanwhile, puplic and private agricultural colleges have educated and supplied a great number of graduates who cannot find suitable jobs for themselves. This phenomena is believed to turn into a serious social problem in the coming decades. This research project was designed to provide information needed by decision makers to cope with the issue.This descriptive research aimed to estimate agricultural graduates needed by all agricultural departments up to year 2010. Extrapolation and Delphi techniques were used for estimation; and, the survery technique through a valid questionnaire provided the required data.The statistical population consisted all 57 organiztions of Jahad Sazandegy, and Agriculture offices in all provinces (before the recent merge of the two ministries)The results showed that in the last 11 years only 6845 graduates had been employed. The extrapolation with 3 scenarios (pesimistic, normal and optimistic) indicated that 6503, 6845, and 7187 graduates, respectively, are needed for the next decade. But, Delphi technique (reflecting employers point of view) for the same scenarios revealed that, respectively, 10985, 11563, and 12141 graduates are required for agricultural departments, in the nation-wide. To test the phenomena of the difference between "need" and "demand", the exact demand was calculated, which showed at most 3125 graduates are likely to be hired by 2010. Since, there is a very limitted chance for agricultural graduates in public services, it is recomended that universities prepare students for self-employment as well as for working for private sector in agriculture.

Inadequate recognition of potentia Is and characteristics of production factors is a main planning issue in developing countries, which, in turn, leads to in-effective use of the resources.This research is a case study of Shibab district located in the north of Sistan and Baluchestan area; therefore attempt is made to analyze outcomes about water allocation for different activities in agricultural sector of Sistan area.The necessary data was collected from a random sampling of 105 farmers during 1998-1999 through questionnaires. Three different cropping patterns suitable to temporal allocation of water, Le 247, 336 and 185 mm3 per year, were selected.Linear programming method was used for finding the optimal patterns, and, its technical coefficients were calculated through farmers sampling. Finally some suggestions are recommended for income and profit maximization through optimum utilization of water resources.The resuns indicated that the most important restriction in agricultural activities of this area was water scarcity in summer season. According to the results of normative demand function for water, the quantity of water demanded had a reverse relationship whit its price, and that the demand curve would be stepwise. Point elasticity of demand for water was 0&1 for 280 and 127 mm3, respectively.There was land constraint only at 335 mm3 available water capacity and shadow price of one hectare was estimated at around 940110 Rials. Furthermore, with increasing the water quantity, a limitation of fertilizer in the second pattern was recommended. Moreover, the effects of removing self-sufficiency constriant from the model were considered and. the results showed that removing these restrictions may increment the net revenue of the region.

The history of scince has been the scene of challeges with these theories which looked quite obvious at the first glance. Considering Iranian agriculture as a primitive phonomenon is among those assumptions that should be debated.This article is firstly concerned with the backgournd of this assumption and its literature during recent 400 years since Jean Chardin till P.Petroshevsky, A.K.S. Lambton, Wolf, and ideas of Iranian reserchers and experts; then through a logical reasoning and with the aid of historical, anthropological and sustainable agricultural theories it tries to cast a serious criticism on this assumption.In the end, the author investigates the theoretical and practical virtues of such arguments and simultaneously reminds that posing such discussions is not at the aim of denying or even neglecting the western science and particularly industerial agriclutre. On the countrary, separating agricultural science from our thousands year legacy is one of those strategies through which western systems try to attain their commercial goals.To understand traditional agriculture, will surely make our researchers interested in thinking of strategies and experiences of Iranian traditional agriculture and also that of other old-cultured countries such as Egypt, China and India.In this regard, we hope that we can make great progresses in both sustaniable agricultural development and protecting our invrionme.

This article establishes the relationships between the state, as the ruling political system responsible for setting up the governance mechanisms, and the social participation of the people, which is viewed as the expanded social relationships in the form of voluntary associations, community-based associations and non-governmental organiziations.To discuss the relationship between the state and social participation, the article distinguishes four approaches with which the state deals with the issue of social participation. They are, namely, anti-participation, manipulated participation, progressive participation, and genuine participation.The article discusses the status of the rural peoples. social participation in the institutional and historical contexts of the Iranian society, taking into account the dependence-oriented development pattern.A historical analysis indicated a failure in the creation of the grounds for effective social participation, ie. processes such as empowerment and self-reliance at individuals"level, and the exertion of decentralization and participatory approaches at higher levels have not been achieved. As a consequence, active and organized participation is not a common observation in villages.