Authors : Seyed Jamal F. Hosseini, Vahideh Birjandi and Seyed Mehdi Mirdamadi
Abstract: Every year, >30% of agricultural production is being wasted and a major reason could be methods of cultivation and harvest which is being used by farmers. In order to reduce the waste and increase production of wheat, Ministry of Agriculture started a program to hire university graduated students in field of agriculture to work as advisors to train farmers, the methods to increase production and reduce wastes in the Wheat self Sufficiency Plan (WSP). The major purpose of this study was to examine the perception of farm advisors about the role of WSP in reducing wheat waste in Iran. The population for the study was 112 advisors in Qazvin province and data collected by using a questionnaire. The data was analyzed by using statistical methods in SPSS. The results of the study showed, there was a meaningful and positive relation between the effectiveness of farm advisors' role in informing farmers about reducing wastes in wheat production as dependent variable and number of contacts with experts in Ministry of Agriculture during cultivation and harvest period, number of contacts with extension experts, number of contacts with agricultural researchers, adaptability of training courses to improve skills of advisors, adaptability of university education, educational tools, formal methods of teaching, awareness of advisors about factors caused wastes in cultivation period, awareness of advisors about methods of reducing wastes as independent variables. It was also found out that methods of supervising the activities of farmers had positive impacts on effectiveness of farm advisors.
Seyed Jamal F. Hosseini, Vahideh Birjandi and Seyed Mehdi Mirdamadi, 2010. The Perception of Farm Advisors about the Role of Wheat Self Sufficiency Plan (WSP) in Reducing Wheat Waste in Iran. Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 5: 435-438.