Space Economy and Rural Development

Space Economy and Rural Development

Profitability Analysis of Crops in Zanjan Province during 2016-2019

Document Type : Research

Authors
Shojaat Zare 1
Moharram Ainollahi Ahmadabadi 2
1 Department of Socio-Economic and Agricultural Extension Research, Khorasan Razavi Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Mash’had, Iran
2 Department of Socio-Economic and Agricultural Extension Research, Zanjan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Zanjan, Iran
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the comparative advantage and profitability of the main crops in different districts of Zanjan province in the 2016-2019 period and to rank the crops for inclusion in the cropping pattern.

Methods: In this study, the Domestic Resource Cost (DRC) was used to analyze the comparative advantage of the main crops grown in all districts of Zanjan province. This indicator is calculated on the basis of market price and shadow prices of the inputs and the products and help the researcher to analyze and to provide solutions for policy reform.

Results: A study of the four-year average of the comparative advantage index in Zanjan province showed that due to the differences in crop yields and production costs, the value and rank of comparative advantage for crops in the districts of the province are different. In general, it can be concluded that in Zanjan province, the level of comparative advantage of capital-intensive and water-intensive crops is higher than other crops.

Conclusions: The results showed that the comparative advantage of crops can be strengthened by increasing input productivity and reducing production costs in areas with sufficient water. Since having a comparative advantage does not necessarily mean that the crop is selected by farmers for the cultivation pattern, therefore it is suggested that the government direct its policies towards reducing the gap between the comparative advantage rank and the net profit of the crop so that crops with comparative advantage are included in the farmers' cultivation pattern.
Keywords
comparative advantage
Profitability
DRC
Cropping pattern
Crops
Zanjan
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Space Economy and Rural Development
Volume 0, Issue 0
Summer 2026

  • Receive Date 02 August 2025
  • Revise Date 16 February 2026
  • Accept Date 13 November 2025
  • First Publish Date 08 June 2026