The Effect of Membership in Agricultural Production Cooperatives on Efficiency of Pistachio Producers in Sirjan Emphasizing the Role of Social Capital

In this research, the efficiency status of a sample of pistachio producers in Sirjan Township, which was selected using Cochran formula and divided into two groups based on membership in agricultural production cooperatives, was studied. Data were collected by questionnaires in 2014 and 2014. In this study, the role of social capital as a software operating factor affecting production along with other production factors has been emphasized. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts and reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha. The total technical efficiency of inputs and the water sub-vector efficiency were calculated using data envelopment analysis method in two groups of farmers, including social capital and without it.The results showed that technical efficiency in cooperatives farmers was 83 and in non-member Farmer's group 74% including social capital. Also, the water sub-vector efficiency among cooperatives farmers was 58 and in the non-member farmer group was 48% including social capital.Also, the effect of different dimensions of social capital and membership in cooperatives was investigated on the technical efficiency of inputs in the form of Tobit's model.According to the results, membership in cooperatives due to the greater association of farmers with each other and the strengthening of trust and participation among farmers and, as a result, the strengthening of different dimensions of social capital, would increase the productivity and efficiency of farmers.