Analyzing the challenges and obstacles facing greenhouse ornamental plants’ growers in Mazandaran province

One of the most important economic activities in Mazandaran province is the production of flowers and ornamental plants; so that it is considered one of the most important hubs for the production of flowers and ornamental plants in the country, and planners and executives are looking to help develop and improve this type of agricultural activity. Therefore, the aim of the current research was to analyze the obstacles and challenges of flower and ornamental plants greenhouse owners in Mazandaran province and to provide solutions to solve them. This research was a survey with a quantitative approach. The statistical population of this research consisted of the producers of flowers and ornamental plants in Mazandaran province, 202 of them were selected using the Daniel's formula and simple random sampling. The data collection tool was a questionnaire, in which its content validity was confirmed by a group of horticultural and extensional and educational experts. In addition, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to determine its reliability and indicated its appropriate value (0.7-0.9). The SPSSV26 software was benefited for data analysis. The findings in the descriptive statistics section showed that most of the greenhouse owners (74.3%) were men, most of their educational level (48.5%) was a bachelor and the majority of them (74.1%) were greenhouse owners. Also, according to the findings of the research, most of the greenhouse owners (56.5%) had traditional and semi-traditional greenhouses, and more than half of them (65.8%) were engaged in the cultivation of indoor flowers. The irrigation method of more than half (77.2%) of the respondents was flooded and the source of irrigation water for more than half (53.5%) of them was from underground water (well). Totally, eight factors were identified based on the results of factor analyzed on 36 variables of the greenhouse owners facing challenges and obstacles in Mazandaran province. These factors included economic-supportive, infrastructural-institutional, barriers to scientific-practical empowerment, educational-extensional barriers, marketing and sales, university-industry connection, monitoring and supervision system and political-legal obstacles. Therefore, policy makers, planners and executives can pay attention to the challenges and obstacles identified in front of the greenhouse owners by solving them to improve the situation of flower and ornamental plant greenhouse owners and to develop greenhouse cultivation in the province.