identification and development of the cluster of an agricultural businesses based on participatory rural assessment in khanghah vosta village

Purpose: the horticulture sector as one of the subcategories of agriculture is considered one of the most vital sectors in iran due to the production of high nutritional-value products and its foreign exchange potential. in this regard, agricultural business clusters present a suitable strategy for transferring knowledge to gardeners, reducing their costs, and improving their performance. this study aims to identify and develop an agricultural business cluster based on participatory methods in khanghah vosta village.methods: the study followed a qualitative research paradigm using grounded theory research methodology. the studied poulation includes rural gardeners of khanghah vosta,  horticultural researchers from the agricultural jihad organization of songhor & kulyaei county, and the horticultural business services providers. participants were selected using  purposeful sampling based on distinct types.results: the results showed that residents of khanghah vosta, engage in six different types of businesses. among them, grape horticulture emerged as the most prominent and were selected as the core of  the grape business cluster in the village. according to the value chain analysis, the major challenges included insufficient knowledge of pruning, orchards nutrition, and  orchards scaffolding. these issues have led to reduced productivity among grape growers in khanghah vosta.conclusion: the strategic development plan for this business focus on improving the productivity of local gardeners. an actionable implementation plan was designed  to support  this development.