The sources of information and factors which influence farmers in adopting recommended practices in two New Zealand counties

Abstract

At a time when rapid advancement in the field of agriculture, as well as industry and business is taking place, it is necessary to convey information to the farmer in such a way that he will adopt recommended practices. People tend to be conservative rather than progressive in nature, making it necessary for the extension workers to understand the factors which are associated with adoption of new practices. New Zealand research groups are continually testing methods and practices which are being readily accepted by some farmers. The acceptance has been reflected in the increased agricultural efficiency in the past few years. Yet, higher standards of living and a more efficient agriculture are delayed by the slowness with which farmers accept technological improvements. The acceptance of improved farming practices is determined largely by economic considerations. When farmers are losing many sheep from an unknown disease they are quite susceptible to new information and to the use of any recommendation. As the economic importance goes down so does their willingness to accept a new practice. Adoption should follow immediately after any practice is proven to be economically sound, but there is often a considerable lapse of time between initial acquaintance and adoption of a practice and those who would benefit most are frequently the last to adopt a practice. Psychologists and educators are asking themselves why there is such a time lag between recommendation and adoption. They are interested in finding the best ways to impart information to the farmers and the factors which are associated with adoption. If extension agents know why some readily adopt a practice and why others do not, they can go about their job in a more intelligent and efficient manner. This study was designed to find the source of information used by the farmer and what effect the different sources and ·amounts of information have on the adoption rate of a certain group of recommended practices. The effect of a group of factors, such as years of education, kind of education, size of farm, and urban influences have also been studied to find their effects on adoption of farm practices.