فصلنامه روستا و توسعه
سال دوازدهم شماره 4 (پیاپی 48، زمستان 1388)

The main aim of this study is to assess the factors that influence the success of rural cooperatives in Kermanshah county using descriptive-correlational design. The required data collected at micro level from all 126 cooperative managers and the 246 members of the cooperatives. The results indicated that achievement of economic targets were low, medium, high and very high for 10.5%, 42%, 26.5% and 21% of rural cooperatives respectively. The findings from discriminant analysis showed the cooperative linkages with government and non government organizations, the performance of rural cooperatives with respect to control, monitoring and training, and manager's and cooperative member's capital were among the factors that differentiate successful from unsuccessful cooperatives. The factors that contribute to the success of rural cooperatives with their respective coefficients include linkage of cooperatives to government and non government organizations (6.024), the performance of rural cooperatives (4.34), manager's capital (3.287), and member's capital (1.531).

In this study the role of management in rural production cooperatives was considered. To estimate and analyze the wheat and barley performance model, while considering control variables, forty cooperatives were selected in the crop year 2006-2007. The results indicated that the innovativeness (0.29 and 0.28) had the highest impact on the performance of wheat and barely. The generation of cooperation spirit had a coefficient equal to 0.24 in relation to the performance of barley and 0.12 in relation to the performance of wheat. The coefficients of practical experience indicated that 0.18 and 0.23 of variations in the production performance of rural cooperatives related to this variable for barley and wheat respectively. The coefficients of specialized knowledge were 0.09 for barley and 0.13 for wheat.

The objective of the present study is to examine the amount of farmer's loss compensation by Agricultural Products Insurance Fund (APIF) in Sistan region. The statistical population of the study includes all the farmers occupied in cultivation during the farming years 2006-2008. The main approach in this study is survey. The data are collected through interviews and questionnaires completed by 360 land operators who were selected randomly in 60 villages. The dependent variable in the study is the percentage of loss compensation from insurance fund and independent variables include four times of cultivation: normal (November), delayed (January), delayed (February), and delayed (March). The results indicated that 74.1 percent of variation in the amount of loss compensation can be explained by independent variables and the type of products. The coefficient of delayed March cultivation variable with 96.4 percent had the least amount of agricultural product loss compensation by APIF in the region.

Rural tourism is one of the important parts of economic activities which can be examined from different perspectives. This study explores the function of this industry in employment generating and the role of investment in this activity in the quantity of Uramanat region's employment during 2002-2007. The study uses a combination of employment-tourism theories to examine the impacts of rural tourism in the area. The rural tourism concept as independent variable is operationalized with hotel and restaurant management, transportation, wholesaling, retail-saling and attractions. The employment concept as dependent variable is considered with two direct and indirect dimensions. The research methodology in this study includes data analysis, secondary data analysis and organizational reports analysis. The findings of study indicate that tourism employment in the area is seasonal and rural tourism in two seasons of spring and summer attracts the employees of other sectors, particularly those of agricultural sector.

Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is a robust and credible technique used for situations that conflicting criteria make decision making between several options problematic. Considering the particular conditions of Neishabour County and its development potentials in economic sectors and based on activities performed in the county, problems are identified by using Delphi technique, then using AHP, promoting and improving priorities of economic sectors in the county were identified. In this paper one of the applications of AHP in rural economic planning was used for prioritizing strategy of Neishabour economic sector. It can be used in the examination of issues related to rural development management considering its simplicity, simultaneous application of qualitative and quantitative criteria, and its potential to study consistency in judgments.

Traditional land consolidation has a particular importance in economic development, since it leads to increase in production and income, and saving in labor and machinery time. This study examines the financial and economic impacts of land consolidation in 105 hectares of rural lands of Haraz plain. The results indicate that with the implementation of the project the rate of net profit in rice farming will raise to 30.4 percent per hectare in comparison to pre-project time. There are savings in family labor force, hired labor force and machinery after the implementation of the project which are equal to 18.36, 83.58, 33.33 percent respectively. The corresponding time for cultivation of lettuce after project implementation amounts to 428, 300, and 25 hours per hectare. Also it is estimated that the internal rate of return for 30-year project is equal to 39.98 percent; thus, in comparison to the present rates, the project is justifiable.

The purpose of this study is to assess the share of the total factor productivity growth and capital stock in the growth of agricultural sector following the Asian Productivity Organization method and application of production function and statistics published by Central Bank of Iran and Management and Planning Organization during pre-revolution (1963-1977), and post-revolution (1978-2006) periods. The results indicate that the sources of agricultural growth during the period 1963-1977 were growth in capital stock and in the labor force and thus, it followed an exogenous growth model, while the sources of agricultural sector growth during the period 1978-2006 were the growth of capital stock, the growth of total factor productivity and the growth of labor force. It should be mentioned the rate of total factor productivity during the period 1959-2006 had high fluctuations.

The construction of second homes in rural resorts of Mashhad county to spend the leisure times has started simultaneously with the structural transformation in tourism in the country and particularly in rural surroundings of the metropolises. This area, due to natural and ecological endowments and nearness to Mashhad has succeeded to accept many second home tourists in rural environments. The findings of the study indicate that the formation of second homes in recent decade has several physical consequences such as farm and orchard land use changes, intrusion into river limits, and changing the rural perspectives, such that 86.5 percent of second homes are located in the margins of the village physical area or in a new locality near the existing villages, and in 42 percent of cases it changed the land use. In order to resolve this problem several propositions are suggested such as land use studies, observing river limits, and designing an integrated management system for tourism.