Evaluation of Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Agricultural Extension Services in GAP - Harran Plain , T urkey

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to determine W illingness T o P ay (WTP) of farmers and explore the potential factors that contr ibute to it for agricultural extension services in GAP - Harran Plain in Turkey. A comprehensive questionnaire was conducted face to face with 461 farmers out of 21,094 , by the simple random sampling method during the irrigation season of 2011 and validity o f the data was checked until 2015 on a yearly basis. The contingent valuation method, binomial probit and maximum likelihood methods were used for analysis. The results indicate d the existence of the ability to pay and the average WTP for efficient extensi on service based on irrigation was 475.8 TL. It is 1.28% of their yearly income and their total WTP was calculated as $6 million per year for the plain. Explanatory factors in the index , such as secondary school, high school , and university graduates from the view pint of education al level, married farmers , and land amounts increase d WTP , while gravity irrigation users and proposed increased bid price for extension and training services decrease d WTP. The results are important for decision and policy makers , encourag ing private sectors to involve in extension and training services . Also, they contain useful information for countries with similar technical and socio - cultural characteristics. Keywords : Agricultural irrigation, E fficient farming, F armers’ train ing, S ustainable income