An analysis of the challenges facing small-scale agricultural entrepreneurs (Case study: industrial livestock units in Zanjan province)

The aim of this article is to examine and analyze the challenges faced by small-scale agricultural entrepreneurs in Zanjan province with a mixed approach (qualitative-quantitative). The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. Data were collected through documentary studies and field surveys using a questionnaire. The validity of the research tool was confirmed by experts and its reliability was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS software and appropriate statistical tests. In order to identify and prioritize the challenges, exploratory factor analysis was used, and the sampling adequacy was confirmed with a KMO statistic of 0.836 and the significance of the Bartlett test at a confidence level of 99 percent. The results of factor analysis showed that the research variables were classified into six main factors including: regulations and financing (20.21%), education and infrastructure (96.13%), start-up costs and market fluctuations (38.11%), production organizations and trust (66.9%), personality traits (21.8%), and intra-group cooperation (69.7%), which explain a total of 72% of the total variance of the challenges faced by small-scale agricultural entrepreneurs. The research findings indicate that small-scale agricultural entrepreneurs in Zanjan province, especially in industrial livestock units, face a set of economic, institutional, environmental, and managerial obstacles that pose serious challenges to the continuation and development of their businesses. The results of this research can be a suitable basis for policymaking, support planning, and designing effective interventions to strengthen agricultural entrepreneurship in rural