Technology Acceptance among Farmers: Examples of Agricultural Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract

Agricultural drones (AUAVs) contribute greatly to sustainable agriculture by reducing input use. The literature on this topic is scarce, so there is little information on the adoption of agricultural drones by farmers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting farmers’ intention to adopt drones for agricultural tasks. Within the scope of this study, face-to-face surveys with 384 farmers were conducted. The obtained data were analyzed using different statistical, econometric, and decision techniques, including the conditional valuation method, lower payment bound estimation, probit model regression, fuzzy pairwise comparison, and the Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje-multi-criteria optimization and compromise (VIKOR) technique. The results showed that government support had a positive impact on AUAV purchasing decisions. Farmers’ primary borrowing channel preference was interest-free loans. The willingness to rent AUAV technology was higher than the willingness to purchase it, with farmers agreeing to pay TRY 287.54 for one hectare. They preferred cooperatives for the provision of rental services. In general, young farmers who were interested in technology and who had a high agricultural income made up the profile of AUAV adoption. The information obtained from this research not only provides new insights for decision-makers regarding the adoption of AUAV technology but also contributes to the preparation of the promotion process for potential market actors.