Cost price and quality evaluation of seedlings in public and private nurseries (Case study: Pistacia atlantica var mutica and Populus nigra in Zaghe and Kalantari nursuries of Loretsan province)

The main goal of this study was to evaluate the quality and cost price of seedlings production in two public (Zaghe) and private (Kalantari) nurseries in Lorestan province during a one-year period (Nov.2007-Nov2008). Pistachio (Pistacia atlantica var mutica), being relatively difficult to reproduce (from seed), and Poplar (Populus nigra), being relatively easy to reproduce (with cuttings), were selected for this evaluation. In order to evaluate the quality of seedlings, standard seedling (having desirable qualitative characteristics) as a qualitative indicator of seedling production was defined for the both species. In the second step, percentage of standard seedlings has been evaluated using a random sampling of produced seedlings. Then, the number and type of seedlings and total spent costs were extracted from accounts books of the both nurseries in the same period. As the total variable and fixed costs of nurseries have been spent at nursery scale, the allocated costs for pistachio and poplar seedlings have been calculated using area ratio (for land rent) and number ratio (all other costs). Finally, the cost price for an individual standard seedling of Pistachio and Poplar were calculated in both nurseries. Results showed that qualitative indicator of Pistachio and Poplar (the percentage of standard seedlings) in the Kalantari private nursery were found to be 3.5 and 1.2 times greater than Zaghe public nursery ones, respectively. In addition, the cost prices of a Pistachio seedling (24058 Rials) and a poplar seedling (17365 Rials) in the Zaghe public nursery were calculated to be 9.3 and 22.6 times greater than the cost prices of pistachio (2207 Rials) and poplar (735 Rials) seedlings in the Kalantari private nursery, respectively. Factors and variables such as the management of land, instruments and machineries, production scale, percentage of standard seedlings, may explain, among others, the observed diffreneces of cost prices in these nurseries. Such researches may help to improve management as well as financial and qualitative efficiency, especially in public nurseries.