Factors Affecting Farmers‘ Decision Making on Product Pattern: A Case of Vegetable Producers in Bafra District of Samsun Province, Turkey

Abstract

Due to natural structure of agricultural sector, it is a very critical issue that farmers can choose the most appropriate one from among various products and decide to produce them. The objective of this study was to determine factors affecting farmers‘ decision making on product pattern of vegetable growers in Bafra district of Samsun province. A survey was conducted with 122 farmers selected with simple random sampling method. In order to determine the factors that affect of decision making on product pattern of farmers were identified 67 statements that included natural factors originating from social and personal, economic, physical and climatic conditions as a result of literature review and pilot studies. During the survey, farmers were asked to specify the factors they were affecting when planning their product patterns according to their own beliefs. The farmers‘ thoughts were scored according to a Likert scale with 5. In the study, statistical procedures were performed as internal consistency coefficients, explanatory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, respectively. According to the findings obtained from the analyses, the most important factor that farmers were affected when planning product patterns was the factor related to product characteristics. Physical properties, farming characteristics, natural factors, irrigation characteristics and labour force characteristics were among the factors affecting farmers‘ decision. In general, it was determined that when farmers decide on which crops to produce, they were affected not only by the characteristics of the crops but also by the different conditions that are not available.