Abstract:
Potato has been one of an economically attractive crop grown in the hill country of Sri Lanka.
Although, a crop with high income generation capability, potato yield has been gradually
declining and cost of cultivation has been increasing during last decades (Kamalinie et al. 2008).
From the selection of the seed tubers up to the post-harvest practices farmers follow
inappropriate practices that cause both the economic losses and adverse effects to the
environment. Also hill country shows the highest amount of soil erosion, about 58% of the
potato-cultivated land found to be prone to severe soil erosion (Abeygunasekara, 2004). Good
Agricultural Practices (GAPs) are practices that address environmental, economic and social
sustainability of on farm processes and result in safe and quality food and non-food agricultural
products (Rathnayake and Dharmadasa, 2011). Therefore adoption of GAP by potato farmers
will be a sound solution to soil erosion problem in hill country and it will help to improve the
productivity of potato industry in Sri Lanka. The GAP concept can be associated with critical
production decision factors and recommendations for potato-based systems in developing
countries (Lutaladio et al. 2009).
There are no studies that help to identify the level of adoption of GAPs by potato farmers and
the influence of socio-economic factors on farmers’ decision on those levels. Therefore this
study aimed to determine the socio-economic factors that influence the level of adoption of
GAP by potato farmers.
Methodology
The study was conducted in four major potato growing Divisional Secretariats Divisions in
Badulla District. A total of 100 farmers from four Divisional Secretariats were selected using
stratified sampling technique. They were interviewed with a pre tested questionnaire.
The level of adoption (LADOPT) was derived to have values ranging from 0 to 100%
depending on number of practices adopted by each farmer.
