Agricultural and Rural Economics

Agricultural and Rural Economics

Investigating Farmers' Opinions towards Changing Cultivation to Crops with Low Water Requirements in Margoun Region of Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Seyed Abitaleb Mousavi Moayed 1
Mehdi Nooripoor 2
Maryam Afereydouni 3
1 M. Sc. student in Agricultural Extension, Yasouj University, Department of Rural Development Management
2 Professor, Department of Rural Development Management, Yasouj University
3 Ph. D. Student, Department of Rural Development Management, Yasouj University.
10.30490/etr.2024.365688.1021
Abstract
Introduction: Today, climate change has negative effects on access to water and as a result, serious restrictions occur on food production in many regions of the world. However, such effects are not well understood. Therefore, this research aimed at investigating these questions: “Is changing the cultivation pattern a suitable solution to adapt to the water shortage situation?” and “What obstacles stand in the way of farmers to change cultivation?”.
Methods and Materials: To answer these questions, a number of highly informed farmers with more than 15 years of experience were interviewed through 16 in-depth interviews as well as a purposeful snowball sampling method was applied. 
Results and Discussion: According to study results, 11 effective factors in changing the cultivation pattern within three dimensions of economic factors (three categories), human-environmental factors (five categories) and natural-climatic factors (three categories), 10 obstacles to change the cultivation pattern within two dimensions of economic obstacles (5 categories) and environmental obstacles (5 categories) and 17 consequences of changing the cultivation pattern within three dimensions of economic consequences (7 categories), environmental consequences (4 categories) and social consequences (6 categories) were identified.
Conclusion and Suggestions: Among the identified effective factors, obstacles and consequences, drought and lack of water resources and low yield of crops as the most important effective factors in changing the cultivation pattern, low level of awareness of farmers and high risk as the most important obstacles to changing the cultivation pattern and replacing the crop suitable for the climate of the region and high yield as the most important consequence of changing the cultivation pattern were identified for Margoun County of Iran. Therefore, policy makers should develop educational programs and courses according to the needs of local communities regarding the changes in cultivation pattern in order to raise the awareness of farmers.
Keywords
Crop Change
Water Crisis
Margoun Region
Qualitative research
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