KNOWLEDGE OF POTATO GROWERS TO NEW CRITERIA OF EXPORT TO EUROPEAN UNION AND SOCIAL EFFECTS

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the knowledge level of potato farmerregarding to the export conditions of potatoes to the European Union (EU), todetermine the differences between the knowledge degrees of the farmers in thetwo villages to the study, to identify farmer opinions regarding the socialeffects of the agricultural part of the Egyptian-European convention on then, and to identify the problems facing farmers since implementation of theEgyptian - European convention.The study was conducted in the village of Sayedna Solomon in Nobariyaarea as one of the largest areas Pest Free Area (PFA), and village of Talia,Menofia Governorate as one of the largest areas outside the Pest Free Area(PFA). a random sample was chosen of 50 farmers from Sayedna Solomonvillage and 100 farmers from Talia village.Data were collected through personal interviews with respondents by usingpre-tested questionnaires prepared specifically to achieve the study objectives.Frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation, in addition to t testwere used to present and analysis data study.The most important results of the study were:1- There were a significant differences at 0.05 level between farmers' level ofknowledge in the two studied villages regarding the export condition ofpotatoes to (EU).2- There was increase in the negative social effects on small farmersresulting from applying the Egyptian-European convention as theinvestigated farmers expressed, and the differences between the twostudied villages were significant at 0.01 level.3- There were main problems facing small farmers in the Sayedna Solomonvillage concerning the market of the crop locally, the lowلexport prices,and the shortage of water for irrigation in summer, while the mainproblems in Talia village were concerning the lack and the high prices ofthe inputs, the irrigation problem, and the problem of marketing the crop locally.