Ali Dehghani; Mohammadreza Zare; Amirhossin Tohidi; Mojtaba Nikzad
Abstract
Considering the severe water crisis prevailing in the country, and especially in Kerman province, the objective of the present research was valuation of groundwater in Bahraman region of Rafsanjan. Data of the study was collected by 70 questionnaires in 2011. In order to compute the economic value of ...
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Considering the severe water crisis prevailing in the country, and especially in Kerman province, the objective of the present research was valuation of groundwater in Bahraman region of Rafsanjan. Data of the study was collected by 70 questionnaires in 2011. In order to compute the economic value of water, mathematical programming and shadow price for input of water were used. Moreover, to survey the water’s price at different levels of efficiency by Dalinous method, pistachio orchards were categorized into three groups: small, medium, and large. Then, by using comprehensive data analysis, technical efficiency was calculated for the aforementioned three groups. Results showed that the small orchards were more efficient than the other groups. Therefore, shadow price of water for small, medium, and large groups were estimated at 440, 417 and 315 Toman, respectively, which showed that water was limited in the pistachio orchards. The results also showed that small orchards had higher efficiency and real price of water was high. This indicted that by increase in technical efficiency, the shadow price increases. Thus, proper policies should be adopted to convert traditional pistachio production system to an industrial modern system, thereby preventing the loss of excess water and providing for optimum use of this valuable input. Therefore, government’s support for facilitating installation of drip irrigation systems, provision of extension services, and training farmers to become familiar with the benefits of these systems, which consequently increases the incentive for farmers to apply these systems, is recommended.