Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development
Year:2005 | Volume:12 | Issue:4 (48)|Papers Count:11

Today, tariff is realized as the most important and prevailing means of control on the border. This very important measure has been ignored under dominance of state trade structure, non-tariff measures and exchange policies in Iran. Interaction with world economy, along with developing relationship with international trade, compels transparency, stability and flexibility of country trade regime and tariff system as well. To achieve these characteristics the adoption of a new and optimal tariff system has been necessitated. Assessment of the structure and status of current agriculture tariff system would be an effective approach to this end. Here the study tries to realize the weaknesses and deficiencies of current tariff system, tariff and non tariff barriers during the last years. In this study, the tariffs and non–tariffs of AOA included products have been reviewed during 1361-1382 for Iran. The results show that the tariff measure has not been an effective means of support in spite of their high values to be given. Findings of the study demonstrate that tariff regime relies on the short term strategy, appropriate use of tariff and non–tariff measures together, deep gap between nominal and weighted tariff as well as inflexibility and singularity of the system for agriculture.

Capital, being convertible to other factors, plays an important role in production process. A proper use of the capital when added to other inputs causes an increase in the productivity of producing factors. Since the capital makes it possible to use appropriate and sufficient inputs for production, the necessity of capital formation seems axiomatic. Investment in Sistan and Baluchestan province enjoys a higher importance mostly due to structural bottlenecks and lack of facilities needed by farmers.In this research, studying 180 farmers of the province, the effective factors in accessibility to agricultural credits and the role of these credits in production are investigated by the use of Tobit Model. The findings show that factors such as the distance between bank and farm, cultivation area, the number of family labour force and having a saving in bank have a great impact on accessibility as well play a positive role in production.

In this study, the effect of the choice of production function on the estimated structural parameters, and also the importance of correct functional form specification to prevent incorrect policy implications are shown. To this end, first, a number of flexibile and inflexible functional forms which are assumed to represent the wheat production process in Alavian region are estimated. Then, the economic values of water are computed based on the estimated parameters of various production functions. A comparison of economic value of water input derived from parameters of the correctly specified functional form, using the econometric criteria and specification tests, with those of the inappropriate functional forms, reveals a substantial difference between the computed values for the water input. This leads to conclusion that the cost of functional form misspecification can be considerable if such information is used as a basis for a new policy formation in the agricultural sector.

In order to face the existing challenges in country’s water resources management development and implementations of some approaches using social participations and support of market forces seen necessary. Since water has a major role in sustainable development procedure especially in our country with the rapid increase of demand (population growth and agricultural development) coupled with lowering the level of the resources, following these kinds of approaches has become more significant.This paper considers the establishment and promotion of water markets as one of the principal approaches in managing water resources. Accomplishing these goals involves strengthening government plans for water resources conservation and regulation through market forces as well as supporting regulatory institutions in water markets. In addition, in this paper the requirement of setting up water markets are classified according to structural reforms in water rights and legislation, institutional reforms, and development in the networks of water supplies. Specifying water rights, reconsidering water legislation by making water transaction formal, water banks, and local institutions for resolving disagreements are priority plans for creating these markets. However, government plays an important role in supporting market forces. Regulatory institutions in a water can be useful in achieving water allocation plans and improving patterns of consumption as well. These regulatory institutions, whose principal members are governments, will ensure the management of effluent discharge (agricultural sewage, and urban and industrial waste water), the allocation of basic consumption, and extra usage. Considering that there have been some traditional water markets in Iran for the past years, the government should take an effective action to develop these markets and to make them formal.

For realization of growth and development, we must design and create the basis of national development and with emphasis on agriculture development, define the position of agriculture sector.This article tries to show that only in the light of this basic action, we can achieve the optimal position and dynamic-efficient relations between agriculture, industry and service sectors. In fact, conflict between agriculture and industry in Iran Economy doesn’t have any reality, rather, this conflict is between reproductive agriculture, industry and service sectors from one side and urban monetary-mediator sectors from the other side. Recovery and remedy of this condition has a bond with elimination of unproductive activities and more attendance to productive sectors.

Considering the importance of social welfare and its' relationship with income distribution and poverty, in this study, difference indices in the context of social welfare, income distribution and poverty, for the rural and urban household of Fars, Esfahan and Semnan provinces were computed. These indices were then compared between rural and urban regions. Cost-income data used in this study were obtained from Statistic Center of Iran (2000).The result showed that unfair distribution and poverty gap in rural regions are more than the urban regions, and also the level of welfare in rural regions is less than that of urban regions of the same province.Neglecting this issue will bring about consequences that cause the gap between urban and rural regions, increases in emigration of the villager in import of commodities and a decrease in agricultural production.

Food security of Iranian households has been among the goals of Iranian “socioeconomic and cultural plans”. To evaluate the level of food security and the possible effects of programs targeting on removal of malnutrition, a comprehensive index is required. In this paper, AFHSI (Aggregate Household Food Security Index) is applied to measure the food security of Iranian households. Our findings indicate that during the period of 1364 to 1379 the level of food security in both urban and rural households has been increased.

Food supply is one of the most significant factors in affecting food pattern. Studies show that food supply is adequate only for providing energy real filling the bellies, not meeting the nutrient needs of the body. It also lacks variety and cannot be considered as a healthy diet. Comparison of actual food consumption with the desirable pattern showed that consumption of bread and cereals along with sugar should be reduced by one quarter, while vegetables, fruits and dairy products might be concomitantly increased.This entails modifying supply of some foods namely increasing fruits and vegetables by 25%, meat and dairy by 30% and reducing grains by 25% according to the desirable food basket.