The Economic and Environmental Effects of Recycling Plant Agricultural Wastes in Iraq (Yellow Maize Production Farms in Babil Province - A Case Study)

Abstract

Uneconomic behavior or ill-considered disposal of agricultural plant residues is one of the important issues in the environmental problem, because it constitutes a waste of economic resources, serious pollution to the natural environment and a loss of its various components. The main objective of the research is to measure the economic and environmental effects of recycling plant agricultural wastes in maize production farms in Iraq by selecting a random sample that included 150 farmers from the crop growers in Babil province. The estimated results indicated that there is an economic surplus that the farmer can obtain from recycling one ton of crop residue, estimated at about 130 thousand Iraqi dinars, which contributes to increasing the farmer’s income, improving the standard of living, and then increasing the welfare at the level of the study members. The results of the study also showed that the negative environmental return constituted the largest percentage, estimated at 31%, and that there is a shortcoming in preserving the environment of the study area from pollution resulting from the accumulation of wastes and plant residues, due to collecting and storing large quantities of crop residues in the head of the farm, in addition to throwing part of them into the sewage sewers.