فصلنامه تحقیقات اقتصاد و توسعه کشاورزی ایران
سال چهلم شماره 3 (پاییز 1388)

Job creation and reducing income inequality are two major objectives of the economic development plans in Iran. In this study, it is tried to evaluate the role of the agricultural sector in getting access to these objectives. To this end, an SAM was initially developed, based on the latest input-output table published by Iran's Statistical Centre in 2001, then the related labor and income multipliers for agricultural sector, and as well for other sectors were assessed. Finally, path decomposition analysis was utilized to determine the path with the largest affecting factors on employment and income generation. Results revealed that agricultural sector bears a high potential in creating jobs and generating income especially for low income groups. Sub-sectors including horticulture, animal husbandry, and crop production sectors carry the largest potentials in creating jobs and shrinking the gaps among rural and urban households and between low and high income groups in both rural and urban areas

The objectives of this study are twofold: first to determine a suitable model for defining the farm-retail marketing margin for pasteurized milk in six major milk producing provinces (Tehran, Esfahan, Fars, Khorasan, Mazanderan, Azarabaejan) by using monthly data for 1379-1385 period; to discover the determinants that significantly contribute to the marketing margin of pasteurized milk in the six selected provinces. Then by using Akaike and Schwarz tests, mark-up model was selected for the analysis. Results indicated that marketing margin of pasteurized milk market depends more on retail price than on marketing costs. Results indicated that marketing margin of pasteurized milk market depends more on retail price than on marketing costs

Youth, as constructors of future community, have a role in sustainable development. Young people develop the skills, knowledge and attitude that enable them to take an active role in society. The purpose of this study was to identify effective factors regarding Kermanshah township rural youth participation in agricultural development and extension programs. The research method used was a descriptive- correlation. Survey method was used to gather data. The population of this study included all rural youth at Kermanshah Township. Content and face validity of the instrument were established by a panel of experts ‌in the field of agricultural extension and education. An instruments reliability was estimated by calculating cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.84 was achieved for the study. The finding of this study showed that; approximately of the respondent that amount of participation was average. Results indicated that there was significant relationship according Pearson correlation coefficient between communicational characteristics, size of farm animal units (Significance Level: 0.001), size of farm land (Significance Level: 0.01) with participation in agricultural development and extension programs

Research, Extension and Education are the most prominent components of Human Resource Development (HRD) in any sector including agriculture. Research-Findings-Transfer Plans (RFTP; including the projects and plans of Research-Adaptation, Research-Extension and Research-Findings-Transfer-Pushing) which aim at production, adaptation and transfer of new technologies to farmers, are sub-systems of Agricultural Knowledge and Information System (AKIS), while improvement in HRD in agriculture being also among the goals. This research was aimed at investigating the supporting vs inhibiting factors influencing the effectiveness of RFTP on HRD in agriculture sector, Fars Province. The research is an applie one in terms of the goals, and a descriptive one based on the way the data were gathered. Research population consisted of 54 plan organizers of those plans carried out during 1385-86 farming year. They were all studied. Data was gathered through questionnaire whose statements were developed based on the previous studies and as well on the view points of plans organizers. Face validity of the questionnaire was obtained through judgment of a panel of experts, and its reliability obtained through a pilot test, and Cronbach’s Alpha was 0.94. SPSSwin11.5 was employed to analyze the data. Data was described through appropriate statistics including frequency, percent, mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation. Kruskal-Wallis Test was employed to find out if there were any differences found among means of the different respondents’ responses. Motivation, interest and participation of plan organizers, provision of needed budget, and supporting policies were the most prominent factors influencing the plans’ success, while their presence as effective in the plans was evaluated as inadequate (by the plan organizers). Finally, suggestions were made as based on the research findings.

This study was carried out to investigate factors affecting the capaability of farmers in risk management. The statistical population consisted of 19536 wheat farmers from Khorasan-E-Razavi Province, Iran, who had been cultivating wheat during the farming year 2005- 2006 under the supervision of wheat experts. A stratified random sampling technique was employed, and while a number of 400 farmers consistituting the sample size of the study. The reliability and validity of the tools employed in the study were confirmed through pilot study and expert judgment. The results indicated that most threatening risks in wheat production were either natural or of economic nature and the most important strategies taken to confront them were either technological or financial ones. Correlational analysis revealed that there were significant relationships between a farmers’ capaability in risk management and his educational standing, his attitude towards risk, crop yield per unit land, level of land under wheat cultivation, total area of the cropping land, wheat marketing value, frequency and extent of consultation with agricultural experts and TV programs.

This research was conducted to assess and compare labor productivity in two groups of agricultural industries in Golestan Province. The two groups included: agricultural industries with personnel educated in technical and vocational training vs agricultural industries with non-educated workforce in technical and vocational training. For an accomplishment of the purpose, production function estimating procedure and descriptive analysis were employed. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.76 showing that data were reliable. Based upon the obtained results, average and final productivity of agricultural industries equipped with technical and vocationally educated laborforce were significantly higher than those for agricultural industries with workforce non- educated in technical and vocational training. This reveals the indicates positive effect of the education received on theimprovement of workforce productivity. According to the results obtained in this study close cooperation among industries, technical and vocational training organizations and labor associations, along with an assessment of educational needs and an increase in investment in technical and vocational training programs are strongly recommended.

This descriptive correlational study sought to investigate the entrepreneurial intentions and its determinants in a random sample of Rural Development management students (n=108) at Payame-Noor University. Data was collected through questionnaire, with its validity cross checked by a panel of experts in the field. The reliability of the instrument was established using Alpha Cronbach Coefficient yielding a figure over 0.7. Correlational matrics revealed that there was a positive and significant relationship among the independent variables of: attitude towards entrepreneurship, social norm, self-efficacy. Moreover, there was a positive and significant relationship observed between attitudes towards entrepreneurship, self-efficacy and student's intention to become an entrepreneur. Overall, students were somewhat weak in their intentions of becoming entrepreneurs. To illustrate the predictive power of independent variables towards intention, step-wise regression analysis was utilized. Results indicated that self-efficacy explained 30% variance of a student's intention to become an entrepreneur.

The purpose of this research was to investigate the sugar beet farmers’ behavior regarding the sustainable on-farm soil management practices as well as analyzing the factors affecting this behavior. The methodological approach in the research was a descriptive-analytical study of the survey type. The target population in the study was the sugar beet farmers of Khorasan-e-Razavi Province. Using multi-stage cluster sampling technique, 375 farmers were selected as a statistical sample. The content and face validity of the questionnaire was specified after several times of review and correction by the Faculty members of Tarbiat Modares University and several experts of the administrative offices. The reliability analysis was conducted through 30 questionnaires and Cronbach’s Alpha values for the different sections of instrument were estimated to be between 0.71 and 0.87 using statistical SPSS software. The results of descriptive findings showed that in general, 21.8% (82 farmers) of studied sugar beet growers’ behavior were at very poor and poor levels, 42.9% (161 farmers) at the average level and 35.2% (132 farmers) at very good and good levels regarding on-farm soil management. The results of means different analysis revealed that there are significant discrepancy between sugar beet growers’ behavior in relation to use of under pressure irrigation method, soil test, worker extension, membership of the rural production cooperative and type of sugar beet farming. The result of stepwise multivariate regression analysis indicated that 44.2% (R2 = 0.442) of the variability in farmers’ behavior with respect to arable soil management could be explained by variables of education level, action to extension guidances, communication channels, sugar beet yield per hectare, extension contacts, farmers’ age, experience in sugar beet cultivation and sucrose content of the sugar beet roots.

Any planning for agricultural sustainable development requires a realization of sustainable agricultural indices standings. Because of many farms in Shirvanchardavol County allocated to rice cultivation and also for the necessity of moving these farms in the direction of agricultural sustainability, the purpose of this research was chosen to analyze the ecological sustainability of Rice Farms in this county from farmer's viewpoints. A survey method was adopted to do the research. Using Stratified Proportionate Random Sampling technique, 136 farmers were selected. Instrument of data collection for the study was questionnaire. Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was used to determine the main scale of questionnaire's reliability which it was found to be equal to 0.87 and considered as favorable. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by an expert's panel. Data analysis was accomplished using SPSS. Results of Cluster Analysis indicated that 35.48 percent of ecological sustainability (subjective) indices were sustainable; 29 percent of indices comparativly sustainable; and 35.48 percent unsustainable, so a majority of the ecological sustainability (subjective) indices of the studied rice farms were among the sustainable

The objective in this research is to consideration relation between Quality of Work Life (QWL) and Ramin Agricultural and Natural Resource university personnel's performance. The present research was carried out in the general framework of a survey research with the population being taken from Ramin Agricultural and Natural Resource university personnel, from whom 100 were sampled through random sampling procedure. Data were collected through a questionnaire and were analyzed using SPSS. The results in the descriptive part indicated that between QWL' indicators, welfare services and continual security and from functional evaluation indicators, ability and environment have the most average. In the analytical part, the results of correlation analysis indicated that educational level and marriage situation have the significant relation with function. Also, regression analysis shows that about 54 percent of the differences in amount of personnel's performance is predicated by following variables: enforcement of law, boss confidence to personnels, equitably pay and welfare services.

The main objective of this descriptive- correlational research was to investigate "attitude of agrisciences students towards application of IT in agricultural job". The statistical population of the study consisted of the Students of the university college of agriculture and natural resources (N= 3143), out of which 218 people determined as sample using Cochran Formula and proportionate stratified sampling technique. The data were collected by a questionnaire developed for the study and were analyzed by SPSS win software. The validity of the questionnaire was approved by a panel of expert's judgment of Information Technology and agricultural extension and education. In order to measure the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach Alpha coefficients were calculated for the main scales of the questionnaire which ranged from 0.72 to 0.88. The result of correlation analysis indicated that attitude of students toward IT application in agricultural job was positively and significantly correlated with their age, average grades point, percent of internet browsing for educational purposes, extent of internet use and skill on the application of internet (at 0.05) as well as English proficiency skill, skill of internet application, extent of using search engine (at 0.01). The analysis of variance (F test) showed that students of different disciplines were significantly different in terms of the dependent variable. The regression analysis indicated that skill of computer application, extent of internet use, English proficiency skill and internet use for educational purposes were entered the model and explained 91.3 percent of total variation of the dependent variable.

E-learning is considered as a significant breakthrough in teaching and learning in agricultural higher education. Internet and web-based technologies are important because they facilitate and enhance communications among instructors and learners and as well provide tools to encourage creativity and initiative in students. The present study was carried out with the aim of investigating competencies needed for faculty members of agriculture for teaching through e-learning system. The study was based on survey research method and a questionnaire developed to gather the needed data. The study population consisted of the faculty members of agricultural faculties selected through multistage sampling technique. The sample size for faculty members was determined 80 as based on Cochran formula. Data were analyzed by using SPSS/WIN software while descriptive and inferential methods being employed for data analysis. The "t" test revealed that there are significant differences among competencies of faculty members in the contexts of technology, content, online education, time management as well as in communication in current and appropriate situations.