Abstract :
ABSTRACT: The overall aim of this study was to investigate factors affecting the empowerment of farmers in Mazandaran province, Iran. To achieve this aim, farmers’ empowerment indicators, affecting factors on farmers’ empowerment, solutions and barriers to empowering farmers were identified in Mazandaran province. Mazandaran province has 16 townships and 299 villages. The statistical population included 1368233 farmers living in the Mazandaran province, Iran. Farmers were selected through stratified random sampling technique. The sample size was determined using Cochran’s formula. As sample of 299 farmers were taken randomly. To run the appropriate analyses, SPSS software was employed. In order to investigate the reliability of research questionnaire, 30 farmers were randomly selected and they completed the questionnaire. Also cronbach’s alpha and ordinal theta were 0.91 and 0.91 respectively. The mean of farmers’ age and their farming experiences were respectively 49.31 and 25.58 years. Also, 22 percent of farmers’ empowerment variance was determined through four factors of farmers’ loan sources, solutions (positive factors), training methods and obstacles. The banks were the most important farmers’ loan source. Among the solutions (positive factors), providing credits and loans to farmers was the most important in the farmers’ empowerment in Mazandaran province. Low literacy level serves as the main obstacle in empowering farmers. The most useful method to empower the farmers was take parting in farmer field school.
