The Effect of Groundwater Management Policies under Balance Conditions on Sugar Beet cultivation area in Khorasan Razavi Province

In order to study the effect of various groundwater resource management policies on sugar beet cultivation area in Khorasan Razavi province, a positive mathematical programming model was used. The studied areas included Mashhad, Neyshabur, Sabzevar, Torbat-Jam and Torbat-e-Heidariyeh. Required information was obtained by completing the questionnaires as well as information banks and publications of Jihad-e-Agriculture Organization and Khorasan Razavi Districts Organization. The studied scenarios included increasing the price of water, reducing the discharge of water from wells, and increasing irrigation efficiency in the form of improving irrigation management, as well as developing new irrigation systems which were studied in the form of several sub-scenarios. Results showed that the policy of increasing the price of water not only leads to sharp decrease in the area under sugar beet cultivation but also reduces the farmers’ income. However, the policy of less water withdrawal from agricultural wells showed less reduction. The policy of increasing irrigation efficiency along with controlling the area under cultivation, in addition to preserving groundwater, increased the sugar beet cultivation area and farmers’ income.