Analyzing Problems of Pomegranate Growers Using Multiple Attribute Decision Making Methods: A Case Study of Zir-e Tang-e Siab Subdistrict

  Although, with respect to the variety of garden products, Iran stands in the third place of the world with fifteen different products, it faces dilemmas in gardening and pomegranate growing in particular. In the region studied here, averagely, 51.8 percent of the rural people are working in the pomegranate gardens. Now, the question is "what are the most important challenges and problems of pomegranate breeders of the Zir-e Tang-e Siab subdistrict?". The statistical population consists of six villages and 218 pomegranate breeders. The research methodology is descriptive and analytical, based on using questionnaire; also, main challenges of the pomegranate breeders are ranked by means of TOPSIS model. The study results show that economic issues are in the first priority in the subdistrict level and in the villages, separately. In addition, as indicated by the results of the TOPSIS and correlation coefficient models, Tazehabad village is in the first priority in terms of the amount of the gardeners’ issues and problems.