Survey of farmer's point of view toward land consolidation in rice farms in Mazandaran province

Rice production along side with wheat have been noticed as two strategic products for government. Mazandaran province is important in rice production, having 230000 hectare forming approximately half of agricultural areas. In this province 44% of total rice production and 335 of country's rice is produced. Small ownership, irregular and incompliant fragments and lack of access roads, irrigation canals and suitable drainpipe have created main problems in rice production in this province. Since 1991, land consolidation and new equipment are applied in rice land seriously, intending to increase yield of rice production, plant mechanization, double cropping, and improving soil conservation, farm management and increasing productivity, economic improvement in agricultural society. This plan was implemented in 2004 in 31000 hectare of conventional rice land, but this plan was encountered with problems and bottlenecks of which the most important were cultural-social, economical ownerships and seating form of land after consolidation, participation of farmers, executive -technical and infrastructure laws problems. In this paper we try to survey the effects of these factors on consolidation plan in Glierd village with 500 hectare rice areas. Data and information are analyzed using AHP (analytical hierarchy process) method that is multicriteria decision making analyzing. Results show that cultural-social problem is the major problem in agricultural society for development of land consolidation plan in Mazandaran province, therefore it is necessary that state organizations and relative executive offices create suitable bed for improving cultural and social condition for education, extension and awareness of farmers.