Economic Capabilities of Wheat Farmers: A Case Study of Wheat Growers in Meshginshahr County

This study is an applied research conducted in a descriptive-analytical method in 2011 and generally aims at investigating the role of rural production cooperatives in promoting the technical and economic abilities of wheat growers in Meshginshahr county. Statistical society includes both member and non-member farmersk and the sample size includes one hundred people of these farmers residing in the villages covered by the rural production cooperatives. Data collection is done through a questionnaire in a survey method. Study results from ‘t test’ regarding the individual and technical characteristics of the two groups show that there is no significant relation between the variable of ‘age’ and ‘background in agricultural activity, and the variable of ‘cooperative membership’; but the membership variable is significantly related with some other variables including literacy, level of technical knowledge, yields, mechanization, optimal use of seeds, optimal use of fertilizers, optimal use of pesticides, appropriate irrigation method, and appropriate irrigation frequency. In addition, according to the study results of ‘t test’ regarding the economic characteristics of the two groups, there is no significant relation between the variables of ‘cultivation cost’ and ‘harvest cost’ and the membership variable, while this variable is significantly related with the variables of ‘land preparation cost’, ‘maintenance cost’, ‘total cost’, ‘yields’, and ‘incomes’.