The Role of Social Networks in Farmers' Decisions to Transition Towards Irrigated Agriculture: The Case of Ambar Dam Basin, Türkiye

Year 2024, Volume: 11 Issue: 3, 345 - 356, 09.12.2024

Mehmet Aydoğan , Sibel Vural , Orhan Gündüz , Osman Uysal

https://doi.org/10.19159/tutad.1560359

Abstract

The main objective of the study is to reveal the information level of farmers about irrigation dams and irrigation and the role of their social networks, which may be effective in their decision to adopt irrigated agriculture. The main material of the study consists of data obtained from face-to-face questionnaires administered in 2022 to 122 farmers in the Ambar Dam basin of Diyarbakır province in the Southeast Anatolia region of Turkey, using stratified random sampling method. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the socio-economic and farm characteristics of the farmers and their farms; frequencies and percentages were used to analyse their information level, awareness of the Ambar Dam irrigation infrastructure and information needs; and Kruskal-Wallis test was used for comparisons according to farm size. Social network analysis was used to analyse the role of social networks in farmers' decisions to switch to irrigated agriculture. The results of the research indicated that farmers' knowledge and awareness of the Ambar Irrigation Dam and irrigation infrastructure is low, which will reduce the effectiveness of the investments to be made for the transition to irrigated agriculture and prolong the process of adoption of these innovations by farmers in the transition to modern irrigation systems. Agricultural institutions and extension workers, relatives, neighbours, input sellers and the internet are all influential in farmers' decisions to switch to modern irrigation systems. Farmer organisations, written and printed materials in farmers' social networks have a limited impact on the adoption of innovations. On the other hand, farmers prefer group extension methods to access innovations, and the dissemination of innovations that allow for testing and experimentation produces more effective results. As a result, involving all stakeholders in the process and informing beneficiaries before starting agricultural infrastructure investments, increasing the effectiveness of farmers' organisations, maintaining the extension activities of institutional organisations within a programme before and after the project, supporting traditional extension methods with digital technologies, and supporting leading farmers with technical information on irrigation can play an accelerating role in the diffusion and adoption processes of agricultural innovations related to irrigation.

Keywords

Social network analysis, production decisions, Ambar basin, information needs, irrigation

Sulamaya Açılacak Alanlarda Çiftçilerin Sulu Tarıma Geçiş Kararlarında Sosyal Ağlarının Rolü: Ambar Baraj Havzası Örneği, Türkiye

Abstract

Çalışmanın temel amacı, çiftçilerin sulama barajı ve sulama konusundaki bilgi düzeyleri ile sulu tarıma geçiş kararlarında etkili olabilecek sosyal ağlarının rolünü ortaya çıkarmaktır. Araştırmanın ana materyalini 2022 yılında Türkiye’nin Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi’nde bulunan Diyarbakır ili Ambar Baraj havzasında yer alan ve tabakalı tesadüfi örnekleme yöntemiyle belirlenen 122 çiftçi ile yüz yüze yapılan anketlerden elde edilen veriler oluşturmaktadır. Çiftçilerin ve işletmelerinin sosyo-ekonomik ve çiftlik özelliklerinin karşılaştırılmasında Tek Yönlü Varyans Analizi (ANOVA)’nden; bilgi düzeyleri, Ambar Barajı’nın sulama altyapısı konusundaki farkındalıkları ve bilgi ihtiyaçlarının analizinde frekans ve yüzdeler ile işletme büyüklüklerine göre karşılaştırmalarda Kruskal Wallis testinden yararlanılmıştır. Çiftçilerin sulu tarıma geçiş kararlarında sosyal ağlarının etkilerinin incelenmesinde ise Sosyal Ağ Analizi’nden yararlanılmıştır. Araştırma sonuçları, çiftçilerin Ambar sulama barajı ve sulama altyapısı ile ilgili bilgi düzeyleri ve farkındalıklarının düşük olduğunu, bu durumun sulu tarıma geçiş için yapılacak yatırımların etkinliğini azaltacağını ve modern sulama sistemlerine geçişte çiftçilerin bu yenilikleri benimseme sürecini uzatacağını göstermektedir. Çiftçilerin modern sulama sistemlerine geçiş kararlarında sırasıyla tarımsal kuruluşlar ve tarım danışmanları, akrabalar, komşular, girdi satıcıları ve internet etkilidir. Çiftçilerin sosyal ağlarında yer alan çiftçi örgütleri, yazılı ve basılı materyallerin yeniliklerin benimsenmesi sürecindeki etkisi sınırlıdır. Diğer taraftan çiftçiler yeniliklere ulaşmada grup yayım metotlarını tercih etmekte, inceleme ve deneme imkânı sağlanan yeniliklerin yaygınlaşması daha etkin sonuçlar vermektedir. Sonuç olarak, tarımsal altyapı yatırımlarına başlanmadan önce; sürece tüm paydaşların dahil edilmesi ve yararlanıcıların bilgilendirilmesi, çiftçi örgütlerinin etkinliklerinin artırılması, kurumsal organizasyonların proje öncesi ve sonrasında yayım faaliyetlerini bir program dahilinde sürdürmeleri, geleneksel yayım metotlarının dijital teknolojilerle ve lider çiftçilerin sulamaya ilişkin teknik bilgilerle desteklenmesi, sulamaya ilişkin tarımsal yeniliklerin yayılması ve benimsenme süreçlerinde hızlandırıcı bir rol oynayabilir.

Keywords

Sosyal ağ analizi, üretim kararları, Ambar Baraj havzası, bilgi ihtiyacı, sulama

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