Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
willing to assume some risk, they were not willing to completely embrace the new
production systems. The ability to experiment with the new production systems on a
portion of their land was a significant factor in the adoption decision.
15.3.4.3 Soil Conservation in Asia
Huszar et al. (1994) examined adoption of soil and water conservation production
systems within the uplands of Indonesia. The objective of the project assessed was
to introduce new farm production systems that would increase farm income while
simultaneously reducing degradation of soil and water resources. The Indonesian
government offered economic subsidies for construction of terraces and for purchase
of annual inputs such as seed, fertilizer, and pesticides. It was expected that removal
of the economic barriers to adoption would result in wholesale adoption of the new
production system. It was hypothesized that, over time, subsistence farmers would
no longer require subsidies to operate their farms using the new conservation pro-
duction system because farm income would increase and farmers would be finan-
cially able to operate the farm without government assistance.
Study findings revealed that removal of the economic barriers to initial adop-
tion facilitated the extensive adoption of the new production system in the short
term. However, when the government subsidies were withdrawn, farmers who had
adopted the new conservation production system quickly ceased to use the produc-
tion systems being assessed. It was noted that farm income increased significantly
for adopters compared with nonadopters within the study area when the project was
initiated. However, differences in farm income between adopters and nonadopters
eroded quickly after the subsidies were withdrawn. It was discovered that farm-
ers who had been receiving subsidies from the government used the supplemental
income to increase their lifestyles rather than reinvesting additional income in the
farm operation. When the subsidies were withdrawn, the use of inputs to increase
yields ceased and productivity reverted back to the preproject levels. The positive
conservation and productivity impacts of the structures created using government
subsidies were shown to be longer lived; however, over time, it is expected that the
terraces and other conservation structures would be destroyed because of lack of
maintenance.
Huszar et al. (1994) submit that alternative approaches need to be explored rather
than direct subsidies of the conservation production systems being diffused. They
suggest that a credit institution be created to aid farmers in need of capital to invest in
conservation rather than using subsidies. They argue that subsistence farmers will be
more likely to reinvest additional income produced by conservation production sys-
tems in the farm enterprise if they are aware that they must repay a loan. When the
government was subsidizing the adoption of conservation production systems, most
farmers perceived the subsidy as being a grant to be used in any manner the farmer
wished, and they spent the subsidies on lifestyle enhancement. The authors further
argue that the government should develop and fund an extension service to deliver
technical information to potential adopters and to develop local input suppliers so
that farmers will have access to farm inputs in the local community.
Ruaysoongnern (1999) and McDonald and Brown (2000) discuss soil conservation
adoption research produced in northeast Thailand. An agricultural extension project
