Determinants of small scale farmers’ decision to adopt polyculture system in Mahakam Delta, Indonesia

Abstract

The benefits of polyculture system adoption in the shrimp farming have been well documented and adoption significant progress has been made to bring it to reality. In the developing countries, the farmers’ response regarding the adoption of the polyculture system is still weak, therefore the current study analyzed the barriers in the Indonesian case, by focusing on the main factors affecting farmers' adoption decision. A comprehensive survey of 250 farmers was carried out, including 118 farmers as adopters and 132 farmers as non-adopters. Data were examined by employing a logistic regression model. The results revealed that among the demographic factors, the family size and education level of the farmer are crucial variables demonstrating the likelihood of adoption. In addition, among the economic factors, the expected benefits and cost of adoption variables significantly influence the likelihood of adoption. Membership of a farmers' group and aquaculture training, among the social capital factors, were also significant and positively correlated to the likelihood of farmer in adopting. The findings were valuable for decision-makers in recognizing what determined farmers' decision-making behavior and identifying those farmers who would most likely apply the polyculture system in the future.