Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development
Year:2001 | Volume:9 | Issue:1 (33)|Papers Count:20

In this article, a theoretical framework was introduced to study the effects of socio - economic factors on farmer"s risk attitudes and production decisions. Attitudes toward risk were measured using two methods: an interview method eliciting certainty equivalent (CE) and the probability of winning demanded (PWD) method. Both of the above methods showed that sample farmers are, on average, risk averse. Econometric analysis indicated that human and physical capitals tend to reduce risk aversion but family size increases risk aversion. Also, the results showed that farmer"s risk attitudes affect their production, marketing and consumption decisions.

The main purpose of this study is to analyse the structuralist opinion that is whether structural transformation would cause economic growth or not. For this purpose we have used the time series data of the Iranian economy during 1963-1997 and cointegration methods in the presence of structural beaks. (Gregory and Hansen -1996). The results show that there is a long run relationship between trade transformation (proxy variable for structural transformation) and economic growth. According to this result, vertical diversification is recommended.

One of the most important aspects of economic planning is to consider comparative advantages of different activities. In this study for determining rice comparative advantages, we have used three criteria including, net social product (NSP), domestic resource cost (DRC) and social cost benefit (SCB) with two relative and absolute PPP prices. On the basis of these criteria, Gilan and Mazandaran provinces have comparative advantages in rice production compared to Syria, Turkmenistan, Australia and Kuwait. But they don"t have any comparative advantages compared to India, Azarbayjan, Vietnam, Pakistan and Uruguay. Fars province has comparative advantages compared to Syria, and Turkmenistan Tailand.

There are many expectations attached by the policy makers and the society at large on the development of rural small industries (RSI). Rural small industries can have an effective and significant role in the generation of employment and income opportunities for the rural population and promotion of more equitable income distribution in the rural area. To achieve these goals and to make their contribution to the development process possible, these industries should have a high degree of productivity. This study investigates the productivity of labour, capital and energy as well the total factor productivity in rural small industries in Khorasan province for the period of 1999-2000. Kendrik index, and production function approaches are used to measure the productivity indicators. Cross-sectional data from 83 manufacturing untis selected at random from the six industrial group in this province. The result indicated that there are many factors that have impact on the rural small industries production, of which primary material. labour, energy cost and capital were among the most important factors. Also the result indicated that number of labour force, value added, cost of primary material as well as services of machinery were the most important factors affecting TFP.

To examine the possibility of water users participation in the management of irrigation and drainage networks through local organisations, Doroodzan network in Fars province was studied. A random sample of 44 local organisations were selected and interviewed. The results of the study revealed that among the present local organisations, agricultural production cooperatives are in a better position to be involved in the management irrigation and drainage net work. Although Islamic rural board, could play a role in supervision of the irrigation affairs in villages, but they are not in a position to get involved fully in the management affairs. In villages that agricultural production cooperatives have not existed, there is a need to establish water users associations to take the responsibility of irrigation management, gradually. In order such associations to be more successful, some other activities such as marketing of members"products and purchasing of farm inputs are recommended.

This study evaluates the effect of economic policies of government on labor productivityof rural industries, in Sistan and Balouchestan province. Sistan and Balouchestandue to its geographical location has an important strategic situation. This province faces with acute problems of poverty, immigration as well as unemployment. To solve these problems adoption of appropriate policies by the government, especially for the protection of industries is needed. This study examines the labor productivity of the province from two levels, namely micro and marco level. At the micro level, by using Cobb-Douglass production function, marginal productivity as well as return to scale have been estimated for each group of industries. Then, at the macro level the impact of government policies including monetary and foreign exchange policies are analyzed using panel data technique. The results of study indicate that there is a diminishing return to scale for the non-metallic and metallic industries and the impact of the banking facilities on the labor productivity of these industries is negative. In other words, due to the diminishing return to scale an increase in banking facilites which is used as working capital for these two group of industries, will reduce marginal productivity of labor. Therefore, it is recommanded that more emphasis to be given to other industries such as food, chemical, and cellulose industries.

Wheat is the most important field crop in Kohkiloyeh and Boyerahmad province,  that plays an important role in providing income as well as self consumption needs of the people of this province. In this study technical efficiency of wheat producers is measured by using three estimating methods of frontier production function, thereby social-economic factors. affecting the techincal inefficiency are determined. Requierd data were gathered through two stage cluster sampling method in three cities of province during the year 1995-96. Based on the findings of this research there is much discrepencies between technical efficiency of the best wheat producers with that of the others. Therefore, it is possible to increase production without any major change in technology and used resources, thus decreasing the discrepancy between the best and the other producers. Production increase potential have been 40 percent in Boyerahamad and Kohkiloyeh and 33 percent in Dogombadan. The main social-economic factors affecting the technical inefficiency of wheat producers have been educational level, participation in training and extension services programs, ownership of agricultural machinery and the number of land units under the wheat cultivation.

Bousher is one of the most important regions for the production of date in Iran, in which 20 percent of the country"s total date is produced. With respect to the excess of date supply in domestic market, the export of this product is of great significance. This would lead to the price rise of this product in the domestic market thereby protecting domestic producers.. Export of this product would also play an important role in the alleviation of poverty in the province. On the other hand, because of lack of awareness of local exporters regarding global market opportunities and the principle of international marketing, the date"s export figures show a fluctuation during the past years. In this study the major issue is to find out whether the increase of local exporters" awareness about global market opportunities can cause an increase in the export of date or not. In this regard, a survey was carried out among the date exporters in the region. It was concluded that with 95 percent of confidence, the increase of awareness can cause an increase in date export.

The main objective of This study is to investigate the impacts of risk and the lack of production factors on the adoption of new variety of corn for the farmers of Fars region and also presenting the application of risk programming methods in farm planning. The multiple criteria decision making model with risk that is a combination of goal programming and target MOTAD, is used in this study. The needed information were collected from the farmers of Zarghan region (around Shiraz). Other necessary farming data related to 1370-76 were gathered from different publictions of the Department of Agriculture and Fars Agricultural Research Center. In this study three different senario including more optimization of water and present labor force and at the same time the maximization of gross margin of the plan are investigated. The results showed that the new corn variety in spite of having non-economic advantages, has not entered in any of the optimization model. The results also indicated that it is necessary to consider the non- ecomonic advantages of this technology coupled with the diffusion of its advantages in the region.

This study examines the plant root up as one of the most important factors of vegetation degradation, on the basis of which three assumptions of the present study are identified. These assumptions are :(1) the need of tribal population for the pasture and range land plants as the livestock feed, (2) the need for fuel and (3) the lack of appropriate law and regulation for preventig vegetation degradation. In this study summer range lands of northern Semnan have been studied, in which the nomadic tribes of Sangesari, Chashmi, Hiekoee, Mostaghel paravari and Shelly tribes spend their summer grazing period. According to the available statistics the number of these tribes amount to 656 households or 3854 persons. For the purpose of this study and with regard to the main characteristics of these tribes such as migration route, average income, the form of migration and the number of population, these tribes are divided into three categories which are: Sangesari tribes, Mostaghel-parvari and Chashemi, Heikoee, Deh-soofian and Shelly tribes. Samples were selected from each category by using proportional stratified random sampling. These samples were 69 persons for Sangesari, 70 persons for Mostaghel- parvari and 68 for Chashemi, Heikoee, Deh-Soofian and Shelly tribes. Required data were collected through filling out questionnaire forms. The study obtained the following results: 1. The need of the tribes for the pasture plant is one of the reasons of vegetation degradation of the region. 2. Difficulties for providing fuel is another reason for rooting up the bushes and shrubs. 3. Lack of appropriate law and regulation for the prevention of vegetation degradation. 4. The results of study also revealed that total amount of bushes and shrubes that were rooted up during the summer period amounted to about 2350.8 tons in the region.

Pests and diseases destroy considerable proportion of rice crop every year. Most of the losses are caused by the attact of Chilo Suppressalis (WLK), a pest that damaged 174 out of 254 thousand hectares of cultivated rice area in the year 1997. Therefore, among the agricultural crops, rice has had the largest share in pesticide use. This study attempts to determine the effects of this new technology on pesticide use. Using high amounts of pesticides in rice cultivation not only will increase the production cost, but will cause serious environmental degradation, as well as increased pest resistance. Biological control is considered and emphasized as an alternative technology by the government of Iran to overcome these problems. Logit analysis is used to evaluate the impacts of the new technology on the pesticides consumption, using a sample of 270 observations collected from the rice producing farmers in Mazandaran province. The results show that 81 percent of the rice farmers who have not adopted biological technology for the pest control, have used pesticide against the chilo suppressalis, whereas this percentage for the adopter of the new technology was 53 percent. Furthermore comparing the consumption of pesticides in the two group of farmers, shows that average consumption of pesticides for the adopter of new technology is 17.14 kilogram per hectare and 31.14 kilogram for the non-adopter. The statistical results of the logit model show a negative and significant relationship between the adoption of new technology of pest control and chemical application.

Iran is one of the first countries of the world in which agriculture and husbandry were originated. Thus, like other countries with ancient cultural backgrounds, it possess a wealth of know ledge and experience that is as old as ten thousand years. It is not hence, irrelevant that Chardin the well-known French historian, wrote about the agriculture of the Safavid dynasty that, "No country in the world is comparable to Persia as regards discovery and distribution of water". It should be added, however that Iranian have been expert not only in the discovery and distribution of water, but they were also skillful in the methods of water utilization as well as land reclamation and consolidation. In the traditional irrigation system, there are several devices for capturing and directing spring torrents, one of which is called "Areng sazi". This method is especially used in the mountaneous regions for capturing the spring torrents in order to catch sands, clay, humus and other objects brought by water and then let the water to leak and penetrate into the water reservoir of the region. This device with some minor differences is used in plain and lower altitude and is called "bandsar bastan" or "goorab sazi". Through these devices Iranian farmers were able to prevent or reduce the danger of spring or summer inundation and flood. By the application of these devices they were also able to increase the underground water resources such as springs, quants, and wells. Furthermore by using these devices they caught the humus and other soil ingredient from flood and utilized them for the reclamation of sandy land or used them as fertilizer. Contrary to the above mentioned device, "Tiloon Dadan" or "Tirgaryeh Ab" was a method used for preventing water leakage along the long water routes. In this method some muds and clay were added to water inorder to improve the quality of the sandy lands as well as to promote conservation of water for a longer period of time. This study was carried out through field survey, using qualitative as well as explorating methods.

Considering the importance of native fowl in the nutrition of the rural inhabitants, it"s necessary to recognize their characteristics as regards feeding expenditures as well as effects of their genetic improvement. For this purpose samples were collected from 30 households in a village during a period of six mounths. The samples selected, included five genetic groups as follows: 1. Random unselected native fowl, as control group (CC). 2. Improved native fowl based on body weight and egg production (BB). 3. crossing between females of BB and males of egg type breed (H) from a research study of improved... (BH). 4. Crossing between males. of egg-type breed (H) and females of BB (HB). 5. Crossing between females of egg- type breed (H) and males of meat type breed (A) from research study of improved.. (AH). Data regarding type and amount of feed, production of eggs, as well as hygienic expenditures were collected weekly, through the questionnaire forms. To compare the economic efficiencies of different groups, cost-benefit analysis was used and correlation coefficient between production and expenditure was calculated. In this study TSP and SAS software were used. The results of this study indicated that feeding expenditure for breeding of the native fowl is not profitable and relation between production cost and production of eggs is meaningless. However, allocating financial resources for breeding of the adjusted exotic breed has a significant impact on production (BH) and correlation efficiency between production and expenditure is meaningful. Other results of study revealed that average cost for the production of an egg in the rural conditions for the native genetic groups (CC) as well as exotic groups (BH) are 360 and 200 rials respectively. It also revealed that agricultural technical know-how has a meaningful effect on the reduction of cost, increasing of profit as well as reduction of losses.