Identification and Analysis of Inhibitory Components for Potato Supply Chain Development in Hamedan Province of Iran

Abstract Supply chain of agricultural products plays an important role in formation and coherence of businesses and economic activities of agricultural sector and food security. While Hamedan province stands in the first rank of potato production in Iran, it still faces various concerned challenges such as supply of resources, fluctuations in production, product losses, lack of processing infrastructure, and market regulation, slowing down the function of supply chain of potatoes. Therefore, this study aimed at identifying and analyzing the inhibitory components of development of potato supply chain in Hamedan province. Given the large number of farmers' statistical population (N=6120), a sample of 246 potato producers was selected in the studied area, using Cochran formula. The required data and information were collected through a questionnaire, the validity of which was confirmed by a panel of experts and researchers in the subject area and the reliability of which was calculated and confirmed by Cronbach's alpha (0.79). For analyzing the data, in addition to descriptive statistics, factor analysis technique was used. The results of the factor analysis revealed that there were six factors, including technical-infrastructural, social and service, policy-making, economic, educational and extensional and environmental factors explaining overall 60.38 percent of the variance of total deterrent factors. Based on the results, among others, the technical-infrastructural factor plays the most important role in the development of the potato supply chain. So, planning and investment in updating the technologies used in chain loops and also the development of mechanization at various stages of production, maintenance, conversion and processing, transportation and distribution can accelerate the supply chain development.