Factors Affecting Farmers Attitude towards Sustainable Cultivation of Rice in the Mazandaran Province

The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting farmers’ attitude towards sustainable cultivation of rice in the Mazandaran province. The research has conducted a descriptive-correlation method. The number of sample population was 270 rice farmers in Amol، Babol and Sari townships which were selected through a proportional stratified sampling. Data was gathered by using questionnaire. The most important findings of the study showed that educational level، access to educational and extension factors and communication channels، the number of family labor force، access to inputs، amount of loan and value of the reference group opinions had positive and significant correlations with attitude toward sustainable rice cultivation، while there was negative correlation between age، non-farming incomes، management characteristics and experience in rice farming with sustainable rice cultivation. Results of regression analysis also showed that access to educational and extension factors and communication channels، the experience in rice farming، the number of family labor، educational level and value of the reference group opinions approximately explained 46 percent of the variability in the attitude of respondents about sustainable rice cultivation