Investigation of saffron role in job creation for rural families (Case study: Roshtkhar Rural District)

With regard to the fact that production of saffron requires little capital and expertise and also as its high price may be the best way to earn income in rural areas, the present study aims to investigate saffron role in job creation for families residing in Roshtkhar Rural District. This is a descriptive-analytical research of which the field studies were carried out at the village level and family. According to the total number of households in selected villages and Cochran formula, 355 saffron grower households as household sample size was calculated. To conduct research, in addition to documentary studies and the initial visits of fields, a wide range of indices appropriate to the circumstances of villages under study were determined. Then, the data collection was carried out based on selective indicators using questionnaires on villages and families. In this study, the validity of measurement tools (questionnaires), by University professors, experts and managers of rural development was determined. The reliability of the questionnaires was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha test. To analyze the data, the statistical and spatial analyses as well as the softwares of Expert choice, SPSS and ArcGIS were used. The findings of the study revealed that saffron production highly affects the improvement of job creation in villages of Roshtkhar Rural District, and this motivates the families as an incentive to stay and live in the mentioned area. Therefore, it seems essential to set the stage for higher saffron production in these rural areas through adopting appropriate strategies.