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In this study , a random sample of households was selected from the rural — population of Karaj area. The stratified sampling method was used to select this
sample. In the first stage, all the 533 villages of the Sharestan of Karaj were -
classified into five size groups and then frQm each group several villages were selected at random . The number of village. selected from each stratified group — depended upon the total population of the group compared with the rural population of Karaj Shahrestan. In the second stage, 1427 households were selected at random from the selected villages . Again, the number of households selected from each village was proportionate to the size of the village. Hence, the randomly selected households were given a guestionaire each to be filled by them. About two- third of the questionaires were not complete but they were used in the analysis as much as possible . The results of this study indicated that - 1). The average - family size was/5.88 and 44 percent of the sample was under 15 years of age . -
2). The illiteracy rate was very high and especially higher amongst females , 55 percent of the females over seven years of age as compared to 34 percent of the - males in the same age Bracket. 3). the highest income per hectare was obtained from beans , peas , and cotton production , respectively . 4). Sixty - six - percent of the wheat poduced by the sample farmers was for home consumption
5). The sample farmers kept livestock mainly to produce products to be used at home . This was more marked in the areas where the roads were poor. Among the livestock, cows were reported the most profitable. The net income obtained from one cow was slightly more than the net income from one hectare of land used for wheat production in the sampled area . 6). Agricultural credit was in shortage and it was only being given for short term at high interest rated. The farmers found it easier to arrange loans from the wholesalers of their products rather than
from the banks . 7). The average per capita income of the farm family was 77,903
Rials per year. This was less than the average per capita income of non farmers in the same villages, estimated at 96,280 Rials per year. However , if the increase — in price of land during recent years is considered , the increase in wealth of the farmer’s land, upon sale may offset the difference between the per-capita income of farmers and non farmers . The pattern of income distribution for both groups was similar and skewed broadly in a similar manner • For example , thirty — percent of the sample households in the lowest income groups had only seven percent of the total income and nine percent of the sample households in the highest income group enjoyed forty percent of the total income