An Examination of Challenges Faced by Agricultural Insurance Fund of Iran

      Received: 25 April, 2009 Accepted: 17 March, 2010     The present study used Delphi method. A two-part model was developed in relation to weaknesses and threats faced by Agricultural Insurance Fund. The statistical population of the study was 60 experts 79 percent of which were from government sector, 14 percent from cooperatives, and 7 percent from private sector, insurance industry and rural and agricultural development fields. The results indicated that non adoption of economic rules and firm management principles, weakness of statistical system, the lack of competition in service provision, and absence of a sustainable system of monitoring and evaluation were among the weak points of the Insurance Fund. The factors threatened the Fund included: inappropriate structure of production units, land fragmentation, lack of production standards, and subsistence farming systems. In addition, both groups of experts from staff and line had similar views.