Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development
Year:2006 | Volume:14 | Issue:3 (55)|Papers Count:11

Rangelands play an essential role in preserving environmental balance, providing means of livelihood, and continuing the possible living of people. The policies of government are to leave the rangelands in the form of 30 -year long term programs and to make husbandmen as the owners and real exploiters of range lands in these schemes. In this study, first, the rangeland projects carried out in Birjand by COMFAR III Expert software, have been economically evaluated, and then the minimum economical size has been estimated.In the part of economical evaluation, two methods of "benefit – cost ratio" and "internal rate of return" were used to estimate 5 sample projects, which had economical explanations. The results of estimating the minimum economical size show that, all of the projects (but Aliabad) have the minimum economical size.

About 62% of the total of barley (Hordeum vulgare) is cultivated through dry fanning in Iran. Investment in agricultural research is most important factor in agricultural growth and development. The main purpose of this study was economic evaluation of investment in agricultural research by method and calculation of innovation acceptance score for fanners. Improved rainfed barley included in the study was Ezeh in Kohgiloyeh-va- Boyerahmad and Sararoodl in Kermanshah provinces. Data were collected from fanners by a survey method and registered information in agricultural centers and institutes. A sample of 192 producers in two provinces of Iran was selected by the stratified random sampling. method and data collected by filling out questionnaires for crop year 2002-2003. Fanners were classified in two main groups, acceptor and unacceptor group new rainfed barley cultivars. For measuring farmers' innovation acceptance score, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was used. Return of investment in agricultural research was calculated by benefit-cost ratio (BCR) method. Results of this research showed that rainfed barley breeding cost, based on prices in 2002, was 874 million rials and weighted average of extension cost in wheat farms was 722 rials per hectare in the whole country. On the other hand, new cultivars have more yield than the formers cultivar. Also, utilization of these cultivars at least increased production and farmers benefit, 8592000 ton and 8.5 billion rials respectively. The results showed that benefit cost ratio of investment in rainfed barley breeding was more than one, and one rial cost made 3.36 to 7.66 rials benefit.The results of this study also revealed that there were significant yield differences among 3 levels of innovation acceptance score of farmers.Consequently, increasing innovation acceptance score will cause increasing barley yield mean. Finally, some recommendations are made for agricultural research budget improvement.

Iran is capable to produce and supply a variety of ornamental plants owing to a various and suitable climate, low labor force, sufficient radiation, large amount of celluloses loss and its closeness to big consumption markets. Despite of these natural talents, the share of Iran's production and global trade of ornamental plants is very small. The objectives of this paper are to evaluate Iran's ornamental plants export by using linear and goal programming methods. Data were gained from commercial customs yearbooks and United nations Organization statistics. Results showed that Jordan and United Arab Emirates are the main markets for Iran in trees and shrubs which bear edible fruit and nuts. The results also indicate that Azerbaijan and United Arab Emirates in roses, Qatar in perennial plants, forest trees and vegetable, Russia in fresh cut flower, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Kuwait in dried, dyed and bleached cut flower and Kuwait in Christmas trees and Normann's and noble firs are the prior and best markets for Iran. According to high potential of ornamental plants import in Persian Gulf area and Middle Asia countries, to increase Iranian portion in global markets it is necessary to make in Iran such policies for solving the problems of ornamental plants production and export.

The general goal of this research was to study the effective factors in the success of the poultry-farm cooperatives in Tehran province. Based on multi-stage cluster sampling and Chocran formulas, 7 cooperatives and 121 members were selected from 18 cooperatives with 1410 members. After completion of questionnaires, the AHP method was employed for scaling. Statistical tests (factor analysis and alpha coefficient) showed that this research has a high construction validity and reliability. The research results showed that cooperative functions toward fulfillment of members' demands were weak. Results of the path model showed that effective factors in the success of cooperatives (from highest to the lowest) are: knowledge of cooperative principles by the members, performance of cooperatives union, the rate of benefit members obtain from cooperatives, the rate of participation in cooperative affairs, extra-organizational factors, the rate of member sharing instruction and managers' skills. Also, the success of cooperatives much relies on inter-organizational fact ors.The amount of members' share from education, participation in cooperative's affairs, the managers' specialty and skills, and knowledge of cooperatives' principles are very weak. Research results indicated that there is a direct and statistically significant correlation between these independent variables and the success of cooperatives in Tehran province.

This article studies the effects of a possible preferential trade agreement (PTA) among D8 members (Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Egypt and Nigeria) on Iran's agricultural trade flows and tariff income. To do so, the effects of trade creation as well as trade diversion in agricultural sectors of these countries are estimated based on two tariff reduction scenarios using a partial equilibrium model. Then the effects on Iran's export and import as well as its tariff income in agricultural trade with other D8 members are calculated.The results show that such an agreement would increase Iran's agricultural trade and export and would reduce its tariff income.

To optimize chemical fertilizer consumption in agriculture sector is the issue to be studied in this paper.To this end, subsidy effect of fertilizer on non-optimized consumption of the input for wheat as a specific crop has been taken into account. In this study and through pervious review, production of the irrigated wheat in different provinces has been addressed and most profitable ratio has been extracted. In the next stage, by putting numerical values of both input and crop prices inside the function, optimized level of fertilizer consumption in each province has been determined. The production function which has been applied here is multifactor type with second square root.Wheat price also has been taken from state guaranteed purchasing prices. According to the result, Non- Optimized consumption of chemical fertilizers for producing irrigated wheat is quite clear.Comparison of the production and profit at their optimum points, clarifies that farmers would benefit much grater if the production turn back to its optimum point, and relatively will increase on average. Thus, it can be deducted that subsidy on fertilizers has led to over - consumption of such input. Also current pricing policy of chemical fertilizers which has been based upon direct subsidy payment through cheap chemical fertilizers is an inefficient policy and needs to be reviewed.

Rice production along side with wheat has been noticed as two strategic products for government. Mazandaran province is important in rice production, having 230000 hectare forming approximately half of agricultural areas. In this province 44% of total rice production and 335 of country's rice is produced. Small ownership, irregular and incompliant fragments and lack of access roads, irrigation canals and suitable drainpipe have created main problems in rice production in this province. Since 1991, land consolidation and new equipment are applied in rice land seriously, intending to increase yield of rice production, plant mechanization, double cropping, and improving soil conservation, farm management and increasing productivity, economic improvement in agricultural society. This plan was implemented in 2004 in 31000 hectare of conventional rice land, but this plan was encountered with problems and bottlenecks of which the most important were cultural-social, economical ownerships and seating form of land after consolidation, participation of farmers, executive -technical and infrastructure laws problems. In this paper we try to survey the effects of these factors on consolidation plan in Glierd village with 500 hectare rice areas. Data and information are analyzed using AHP (analytical hierarchy process) method that is multicriteria decision making analyzing. Results show that cultural social problem is the major problem in agricultural society for development of land consolidation plan in Mazandaran province, therefore it is necessary that state organizations and relative executive offices create suitable bed for improving cultural and social condition for education, extension and awareness of farmers.

Despite the importance of machinery in agriculture, (Iranian) government policies have not led to appropriate supply of machineries toward agricultural sector in recent years. Machinery canalization to this sector not only has not provided the mechanization of agricultural sector but also it has not been able to compensate depreciation of machineries during recent years. Therefore, this condition has caused the reduction of mechanization level and has decreased the mechanization multiplier and also forced farmers to use obsolete machines. In this paper, the agricultural mechanization in Iran has been reviewed by using last 15-year data on agricultural machinery and mechanization and interviewing the experts.The research results show that machinery procurement, in terms of number and type, during 1st, 2nd and 3rd economic development plans has not been in accordance with plan forecasts. Agricultural machinery's price has increased more than guaranteed prices of agricultural products and also loan ratios to machinery prices have been decreasing repeatedly. In spite of what is mentioned above, agricultural mechanization has been improved, showing current mechanization role in agriculture sector. Finally, this paper discusses bottlenecks of agricultural mechanization in Iran.