An Analysis of On Farm Development Program in Rice Fields

On Farm Development Program is a strategy adopted for the development of Iran rice growing fields in the agricultural sector. SWOT method was employed for studying opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses of On Farm Development Program. Necessary data for the research was collected, through two sets of questionnaires, from 34 experts of On Farm Development Program in Guilan Province. Results indicated that opportunity for using suitable machines in carrying out agricultural activities (economical dimensions) is a most important factor. On the other hand the most important created threat is a redivision of farmland and creation of excessive boundaries in between (social dimensions). According to the experts, strength point of the plan is the most economical and environmental, its weakness points and the most environmental and institutional, and created opportunities are in economical and environmental dimensions, while created threats are in social and environmental dimensions. According to experts, views, the strengest point of this plan is the creation of independent pieces of other pieces for use of drainage canals and accessible roads (social dimensions) while the most important weakness point of the plan is a lack of instruction and advancement protection for informing agriculturalists (social dimensions). The most settlement situation of On Farm Development Strategy in Gilan province is in WT district namely in withdrawal or decrease strategy. In other words, activity levels in rice fields for On Farm Development Program must be a decrease, if not defeat of revenue methods that will happen in the future and then in the second stage, its settlement is WO district meaning that it is in change direction strategy showing that according to presented weak revenue and exciting opportunities, activity direction must be changed. The result of this research showed that according to experts’ views, in assessment of inner and outer agents of SWOT matrix, On Farm Development Program of rice fields have strong inner points and outer created opportunities. The results of this research indicated that a deletion of impermanent agents brings more sustainability than a creation of permanent agents and as a whole, one can coclude that, the project is comparatively sustainable.