Introduction: The agricultural sector and its sub-sectors, especially animal husbandry and agriculture, play a key role in ensuring food security in various regions. Therefore, identifying and prioritizing areas susceptible to agricultural production in order to revise existing policies and plans and formulate agricultural development strategies in the future can play a significant role in ensuring food security. Kurdistan Province is one of the geographical spaces that, due to its moderate climate, abundant surface water resources, dense and dense pastures and vegetation, etc., in addition to semi-nomads within the province, is the place of settlement of nomads from provinces such as Kermanshah, Ilam, and Lorestan, especially in spring and summer.
Purpose of the research: The main objective of this research is to identify and prioritize areas susceptible to agricultural production in nomadic territories, which was conducted as a case study in Kurdistan Province.
Methodology: The present study is applied research in terms of its purpose and in terms of its nature and method, it uses a combination of descriptive-analytical, survey, and correlational methods. A combination of different techniques and tools (TOPSIS model, weighted average, cluster analysis technique, geographic information system (GIS), and Pearson correlation coefficient (SPSS software)) were used to analyze the collected data.
Geographical area of research: Kurdistan Province, which includes ten counties, is the geographical scope of the present study.
Results and discussion: The findings showed that in terms of agricultural production capacity, the three counties of Saqqez, Divandarreh and Bijar, with coefficients of 0.160, 0.149 and 0.162, respectively, ranked first to third, and the three counties of Sarvabad, Baneh and Sanandaj, with coefficients of 0.007, 0.038 and 0.052, respectively, ranked last. The results of the cluster analysis technique and spatial distribution showed that the northern counties of the province (with the exception of Baneh County) have a higher agricultural production capacity than the southern half of the county. The results of the Pearson correlation coefficient showed that there is a positive and significant statistical relationship between the variables of total area, total area of land (agricultural and horticultural), total area of land (agricultural) and rangeland area with the dependent variable of the research. The correlation of the aforementioned variables with the agricultural production capacity of the counties of Kurdistan province was 0.778, 0.673, 0.676, and 0.782, respectively.
Conclusion: In order to establish transformation and complementary industries and process agricultural products, the capacity of areas prone to agricultural production can be used. Also, preventing the change in the use of agricultural lands and pastures should be a priority in the agricultural development planning of Kurdistan Province.