SOCIAL ACCEPTABILITY OF COCONUT-BASED AGROFORESTRY MODELS DEVELOPED TO SMALLHOLDERS IN SRI LANKA

Abstract

Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka (CRISL) has designed andestablished twenty-six coconut-based agroforestry models in differentagroecological regions of smallholder coconut farmers' fields commencing1987. This study evaluates the conformity of four selected models with theexisting resource base of smallholder coconut farmers and elicits theirperceptions on these models. The selected models include: mixed farmingfor Wet Zone (model 1), mixed cropping for Wet Zone (model 2), mixedfarming for Wet Intermediate Zone (model 3) and intercropping for WetIntermediate Zone (model 4), established respectively at Gaspe,Hanchapola, Katuneriya and Thulawala. Conformity of these models withthe existing resource base of the farmers was analyzed by comparing laborand cash requirement of the models with the availability of these tworesources at farmers' disposal while the farmers' perceptions were elicitedthrough a survey using a structured questionnaire supplemented withinformal discussions. Results revealed that all the selected agroforestrymodels conform with the existing cash resource base of the farmer atcurrent scale of operation, but not so with the family labor supply. However,both these resources may turn out to be limiting constraints once the currentscale of operation is expanded. The farmers' expressed mix perceptions onagroforestry models in terms of model layout, crop composition, suitability tosocioeconomic circumstances etc, with an overall positive assessmentimplying that the models developed by the CRISL are acceptable for them.