Factor Analysis of Paddy-Field Consolidation: Case Study of Iran

Land consolidation is a strategy for the development of Iranian rice-growing regions. The most important targets of the program are reducing rice farmers' expenses and increasing their income. The object of this article is to conduct a factor analysis of Iranian paddy-field consolidation. The research was conducted in the form of a survey study. The data was collected from188 farmers participating in a farm-development program in Guilan province, sampled using a stratified random sampling method. The reliability of the questionnaire was calculated using a Cronbach alpha coefficient (alpha >0.78) for different sections after conducting a pilot study. Factor analysis for farmers with rice fields in projects showed that five factors explained 63.92% of total variance. These factors were: 1) social, 2) instructional, 3) environmental, 4) economic and 5) institutional effects. Social effects alone, the factor with the greatest effect, explained 34.84% of total variance.