Identification and Prioritization of Factors Influencing Agricultural Water Price Index from Farmers’ Viewpoint in Charkhab Village, Yazd Province

Abstract

Arid and desert lands in terms of specific environmental characteristics such as low annual precipitation,<br />sequential droughts, huge drop in ground water levels or the like, have always faced strict limitations in water<br />resources. In the shadow of these characteristics and many other factors, Water Price Index (WPI) is significantly<br />affected. This study set out with the aim of identifying and determining the priority of factors influencing<br />Agricultural Water Price Index (AWPI) in arid and desert lands from farmers' point of view. The Charkhab village in<br />Yazd province was selected for this study. Detailed field surveys using structured questionnaires were considered<br />with the statistical society comprising the whole of the farmers of the village. The identification of the influential<br />factors is done by means of reviewing the literatures and eliciting experts' opinions. We implicated the factor<br />reduction and analyzing frequency distribution and CV correlation methods. Data interpretation was carried out by<br />using SPSS software. The results of the factor analysis method have revealed 9 important factors being accounted for<br />92.06% of the variance. From 26 detected variables, “constructing and expanding greenhouses" are the most<br />influential factors according to the farmers' responses. Moreover, from other cases investigated lower ranks are<br />assigned to the role of well costs, water supply costs and agricultural input costs.