Date of Award

8-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Legacy Department

Economics

Committee Chair/Advisor

Templeton, Scott

Committee Member

Bodenhorn , Howard

Committee Member

Mroz , Thomas

Abstract

Farmers can reduce the risks associated with climate variability by using climate forecasts. Extension personnel, as knowledgeable informants about farmers, can assess farmer interest in and uses of climate forecasts in agricultural decision making. Three surveys of extension personnel were conducted in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina to assess, among other things, farmer interest in and uses of climate forecasts. Models of conditional probabilities are estimated with data from the surveys to show how extension assessments depend on characteristics of the extensionist and her clientele. An extensionist with more than six years of experience is more likely to think that farmers are interested in using climate forecasts. An extensionist who works with field crop production is more likely to think that a farmer can use climate forecasts to improve planting schedules, land allocation, harvest planning, and crop selection. An extensionist whose average clientele farm size exceeds 200 acres is more likely to indicate that a farmer can use climate forecasts to improve harvest planning, irrigation management, and crop selection. The empirical results provide useful information to those interested in expanding the adoption of climate forecasts in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Included in

Economics Commons

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