Innovative vs conventional farmer profiles

Part of : MIBES Transactions : international journal ; Vol.6, No.1, 2012, pages 39-52

Issue:
Pages:
39-52
Author:
Abstract:
The adoption of agricultural innovations depends on a variety of personal, social, cultural and economic factors, as well as on the farmer's subjective perceptions of the nature and the particular characteristics of an innovation. The objective of this paper is to look into the profiles of innovative and conventional farmers and study their motives for adopting or not adopting new production technologies. The intention is to identify differences between farmers who have adopted an innovative technology and those who state the reasons that would make them adopt it. For this purpose, two groups of apple farmers are chosen, one certified in Integrated Crop Management (ICM) and the other group farming conventionally. The study area is Western Macedonia and primary data were collected through personal interviews in the year 2010-2011. The sample was selected with random sampling and sample size consists of 12 ICM apple farmers and 63 conventional apple farmers. Research results show that innovative farmers are younger, more educated and with less farming experience. Farmers who have already adopted ICM ranked 'Improvement in quality' and 'easier distribution of product' as the two most important factors for adoption. Conventional farmers, rank 'better prices' and 'lower cost of production' as the two most important factors that would induce them to adopt that technology. Protection of the environment ranks last in importance for conventional farmers and one but last for ICM farmers. To encourage the adoption of ICM we need to change the perception of conventional farmers with the help of extension services, a steady information flow and lifelong training.
Subject:
Subject (LC):
Keywords:
innovations, Integrated Crop Management, adoption factors, apple farming, Greece
Notes:
Περιέχει διαγράμματα, πίνακες και βιβλιογραφία
References (1):
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