Black Sea Journal of Engineering and Science
Yazarlar: Çağatay YILDIRIM, Hatice TÜRKTEN, İ̇smet BOZ
Konular:Mühendislik
DOI:10.34248/bsengineering.815331
Anahtar Kelimeler:Farmers’ problems,Rural issues,Farmers’ points of views,Çarşamba
Özet: The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the major problems encountered by farmers operated in Carsamba District of Samsun Province, and also possible solution recommendations proposed by the participants. A stratified sample of 350 farmers was contacted through face to face interviews in the Summar of 2016. Respondents were qualitatively asked to list the most important problems they faced in their agricultural activities as well as non-agricultural occupations in rural areas. A questionnaire was developed to collect data on farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics and problems encountered during their production process, and their stay in the rurality. Farmers’ recommendations for the solutions of their problems to the problems they identified were also asked in open-ended questions. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics included frequencies, standard deviations, means, and percentages were used to analyze the socio-economic characteristics of farmers. Since this study was focused on the farmers' points of views of their problems and solutions, their comments on the open-ended questions were noted by the researchers during the data collection process. Farmers’ responses on the main problems they faced were categorized considering the most frequently mentioned and stressed issues relating to farming and rural livelihoods. Research results showed that the major problems faced by farmers were lack of marketing opportunities for the farm commodities they produced, high input prices, improper shape and low- level production capacity of the lands owned by farmers, problems with plant protection, and lack of extension and training activities. Farmers suggest that the government should take more initiative to solve these problems. The results of this study are expected to provide useful information for farmers farmers’ organizations, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and non- governmental agencies in the region.