Village and Development

Village and Development

The Role of Government Policies in Sustainability/Unsustainability of Productive Agrarian Activities: A Case Study of Turkmen and Gomishan Counties of Iran, 1981-2011

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
A. Gharanjik 1
H. Afrakhteh 2
A. Nazari 3
1 PhD Graduate in Geography and Rural Planning, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
2 Professor of Geography and Rural Planning, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Associate Professor of Geography and Rural Planning, Payame Noor University, Gonbad Kavous, Iran.
10.30490/rvt.2020.293508.1075
Abstract
Government policy is one of the factors affecting the agricultural activities. This study aimed at investigating these factors using a qualitative approach and Grounded theory in two counties of Turkmen and Gomishan in Golestan province of Iran during the period of 1981-2011. Field studies were carried out through the selection of 32 snowball participants. The results showed that the four policies of cultivating and developing strategic products, diversifying into economic activities by creating industrial settlements in rural areas, damming and modernization, leveling and drainage of land were the main policies affecting the agrarian production and productive agrarian activities in the studied area; in addition, there were positive consequences including an increase in rural employment and improved soil capacity as a result of two policies of diversification of economic activities and land leveling and drainage as well as the negative consequences of lowering economic benefits, changing crop patterns, reducing water supply, raising livestock costs and the reduction of livestock breeding resulted in the instability of agricultural activities and rural economy as well as the weakness of crop production activities.
Keywords
Government Policy
Agrarian Activities
Agrarian Structure
Turkmen (County)
Gomishan (County)

Subjects

  1. Afrakhteh, H. and Hajipour, M. (2013). Transformation of rural land ownership; causes and consequences; case: Taghab and Masoumabad villages in Khosf County. Space Economy and Rural Development, 2(5): 1-21. (Persian)
  2. Afrakhteh, H., Hajipour, M. and Romiani, A. (2015). Optimizing patterns for cultivating sgricultural products toward sustainable development, case study: Sahlabad Plain. Research and Rural Planning, 4(1): 41-55. (Persian)
  3. Afrakhteh, H., Azizpour, F. and Bayat, M. (2014). Morphological changes of rural settlements of Salehan sub-district (Khomein County), 1971-85 Geography and Development, 37: 71-84. (Persian)
  4. Agah, F., Ein-Afshar, S. and Ahamadzadeh Ghavidel, R. (2015). Assessment of the enzymatic extraction of rapeseed oil and the effects on the quantity and quality characteristics of the oil. Food Technology and Nutrition, 12(46): 71-82. (Persian)
  5. Amar, T. and Rezaei, P. (2008). Investigating the factors affecting the developments in the agricultural system in Rahmatabad (Roudbar County) during 1991-2001. Geographical Research, 39(9): 101-113. (Persian)
  6. Baijukya, F.P., Ridder, N.D., Masuki, K.F. and Giller, K.E. (2005). Dynamics of banana-based farming systems in Bukoba district, Tanzania: changes in land use, cropping and cattle keeping. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 106(4): 395-406.
  7. Bakhshi, M.R., Peykani, G., Hosseini, S.S. and Saleh, I. (2010). Evaluating effects of removing fertilizer subsidy and direct payment polices on cropping pattern and inputs use (case study: agronomy subsector of Sabzevar County). Agricultural Economics (Economy and Agriculture), 4(2): 185-207. (Persian)
  8. Cheung, A. (2004). Research on rural financial development and rural economic growth in China. PhD Thesis, Zhejiang University, China. Available at http://oversea.cnki.net/kcms/detail/detail.aspx?dbcode=CDFDandQueryID=0andCurRec=2anddbname=CDFD9908andfilename=2004074723.nh
  9. Cocca, G., Sturaro, E., Gallo, L. and Ramanzin, M. (2012). Is the abandonment of traditional livestock farming systems the main driver of mountain landscape change in Alpine areas? Land Use Policy, (29): 878- 886.
  10. Cocklin, C., Mautner, N. and Dibden, J. (2007). Public policy, private landholders: perspectives on policy mechanisms for sustainable land management. Environmental Management, 85(4): 986-998.
  11. Douglass, N. (1998). Institutions, institutional change and economic performance. Translated by M.R. Moeini. Tehran, Iran: Planning and Budget Organization Publications. (Persian)
  12. Golestan Agriculture - Jahad Organization (2018). Archive information. Gorgan, Iran. Available at http://www.jago.ir. (Persian)
  13. Golestan Regional Water Company (2018). Statistics of water resources and buildings. Gogan, Iran. Available at http://www.gsrw.ir/SC.php?type=staticandid=47. (Persian)
  14. Gopinath, R. (1986). Agrarian structure and transformation in Malabar 1871-1921. MA Dissertation, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. Available at http://hdl.handle.net/10603/16220.
  15. Hajipour, M. and Falsoleiman, M.F. (2014). The study of effective factors on alteration of farm operating systems, case study: Sahlabad-Nehbandan Farming Joint Stock Company. Geography and Urban-Regional Planning, 10(4): 39-54. (Persian)
  16. Hosseini, S.S. and Tarshizi, M. (2009). Evaluation of supportive policy of wheat in Iran. Iranian Agricultural Economics and Development Research, 2(40): 1-11. (Persian)
  17. Keyder, Ç. and Yenal, Z. (2011). Agrarian transformation, labour supplies, and proletarianization processes in Turkey: a historical overview. Journal für Entwicklungspolitik, 27: 44-71.
  18. Lebeau, R. (1976). The greatest agricultural foundations in the world. Translated by M. Mahmoudpour. Tabriz, Iran: Tabriz University Publications. (Persian)
  19. Ministry of Agriculture - Jahad (2016). Agriculture database. Office of Statistics and Information Technology. Available at http://dbagri.maj.ir/zrt/index.htm. (Persian)
  20. Mojtahed, A. and Sharifi, M. (2004). The effect of monetary and financial policies on the growth of the Iranian agricultural sector. Agricultural Economics and Development, 47(12): 1-42. (Persian)
  21. Mousavi, S.N., Mohammadi, H. and Taheri, F. (2009). The effect of governmental support policy on wheat cropping and production in Fars province. Economic Research, 3(9): 289-307. (Persian)
  22. Nathaniel Brown, D. (1985). The transformation of agrarian structure: a Ghanaian case study of Twifo-Hemang, central region, Ghana. PhD Thesis, McMaster University, USA. Available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239828504_The_Transformation_of_Agrarian_Structure_A_Case_Study_of_Twifo-Hemang_Central_Region_Ghana
  23. Nekooei Naeini, S.A. (2016). Explaining the agricultural structure of Iran in the Islamic model of Iranian progress. Paper Presented at the 5th Conference of Islamic Pattern of Progress in Iran; Basic Development Model, Tehran, Iran. Available at http://5cp.olgou.ir/papers.html.
  24. Pishbahar, E. and Khodabakhshi, S. (2014). The effect of subsidizing agricultural inputs on agricultural crops cultivation pattern in Varamin County. Agricultural Economics Research, 2(6): 53-68. (Persian)
  25. Saee Rass, I. (2007). The philosophical and theoretical context of qualitative research methods in social sciences. Sociology of Azad University, 4(2): 25-44. (Persian)
  26. Saeidi, A. (2012). Fundamental concepts in physical-space planning (part one). Physical-Space Planning, 1(1): 9-26. (Persian)
  27. Shakouri, A. (2005). Agricultural development policy in Iran. Tehran, Iran: SAMT Publications. (Persian)
  28. Statistical Center of Iran (1988). General agricultural census. Available at https://www.amar.org.ir/ (Persian)
  29. Statistical Center of Iran (2003). General agricultural census. Available at https://www.amar.org.ir/ (Persian)
  30. Statistical Center of Iran (2014). General agricultural census. Available at https://www.amar.org.ir/ (Persian)
  31. Strauss, A. and Corbin, J. (2011). Principles of qualitative research method. Translated by B. Mohammadi. Tehran, Iran: Research Center for Humanities and Cultural Studies Publication. (Persian)
  32. Vosoulipour, M., Modarres, H. and Mohsennia, M. (2004). Determination of oil content and types of fatty acids in cannabis oil of different regions of Iran. Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Iran, 2(23): 81-87. (Persian)
  33. Yao, G. and Xie, H. (2016). Rural spatial restructuring in ecologically fragile mountainous areas of southern China: a case study of Changgang Town, Jiangxi Province. Rural Studies, 47: 435-448.