Agricultural Research, the Most Important Option for Investment in Agriculture; Case of Kurdistan Province (West of Iran)

Agricultural research have very vital role in creation of knowledge and new technologies. New technologies will change conditions toward agricultural sustainable development if they are proper with farmer's situations and farmers use them optimally. In Iran's provinces especially Kurdistan, agricultural research have been purposed as an important exciter for development but it have confront with lack of adequate financial support since two ago decades. This study shows that agricultural research is the most important option for investment in Kurdistan agriculture sector. Analytical hierarchy process has been used so that four criterion and 12 investment options have been selected. 6160 pair wise comparisons were done by 22 agricultural experts in 2007. Results show that agricultural research with final weight 0.152 is the most important option for investment in Kurdistan agriculture sector. Based on Sensitivity analyze also, final weight of agricultural research have fluctuation between 12.4 until 16.5 but in all of the conditions, it is the most important. Kurdistan province has proper backgrounds for enhancement of agricultural research and the more attention is necessary especially based on environment sustainability and long-term programming.