Perceptions of farmers on risk management strategies in Son La province, Vietnam

Abstract

Commercial fruit farmers in Son La province of Vietnam face substantial risks and they often struggle to implement appropriate risk management responses. A field survey was conducted to achieve a comprehensive view of the risk perception and risk management practices of fruit farmers in Son La province. Our findings indicated that there were 14 sources of risks, which were grouped into production, market, human, and finance categories. Among the risk sources, production was the most serious source of risk, which including seedling quality, unfavourable weather conditions, and disease risk as single risks. Risk management strategies were also categorized, namely, diversification, product quality, human resource, and consultancy. Within these categories, quality regulation, disease prevention, and product preservation were perceived as the most important risk management strategies.