an investigation of economic and ecological aspects of the agricultural cooperatives: a case study of markazi province of iran

the purpose of this study was to investigate economic impacts (including production costs, mechanization growth, changes in productivity per area, changes in the size of the cultivated area and productivity of production inputs) and ecological impacts (including protecting the environment from degradation and soil erosion as well as sustainable use of chemical fertilizers) of rural agricultural cooperatives on their members and their working environment. the study was conducted in the markazi province. the method of the study was expost facto survey, using a questionnaire with 78 validity. the questionnaire aimed at understanding processes of producing agricultural products by members of the agricultural collectives in the two terms (e.g. before establishing the agricultural collectives and after establishing the agricultural collectives). the results of study showed, that the cooperatives have increased the level of mechanizations (including land plowing and ready for sowing 5/89, cultivating 0.77, crop management 1.8 and complemented equipments 4.63 hectare), the area of planting and the members’ crop yields (especially watery wheat 0.6, cheeky wheat 0.97, watery barley 0.18, dry bean's 0.37 and provender 1.6 ton per hectare).however, the cooperatives weren’t effective to increase land use and water productivity as well as to decrease of soil erodiblity. average application of urea fertilizer in irrigated wheat, barley, potato, colza and sugerbeet was less than the standard recommended by laboratory, however for dry beans were up to two times more. average applications of phosphate fertilizer were 2, 3.5, 2, 1.3 more than the standard recommended by laboratory for irrigated wheat, potato and dry bean's, respectively. average application of potassium fertilizer in :irrigated wheat, barley, potato, dry bean's, colza and sugar-beet was respectively less than (0.25,0.13,0.5,0.1,0.13and0.2) of the standards. the average application of pecides was less than the standard recommended by the laboratory. therefore the rural production cooperatives’ were successful in increasing of member’s crop yields and income, however they didn’t have effective roles in improving the environmental sustainability. consequently, the study show an immediate need in the sustainability as well as marketing training programs for the members of the study agricultural cooperatives.