Explaining the predictors of abaca farmers who opt for a nursery establishment: A binary logistic modeling

Abstract

This paper looks into the need of abaca farmers for nursery establishment in Eastern Visayas, Philippines, and determines its predictors. The study utilized primary information gathered from a sample of 269 small-scale abaca farmers through a face-to-face interview with the aid of a researcher’s semi-structured questionnaire. The collected data were then analyzed through appropriate descriptive metrics and binary logistic regression modeling. Results depicted that 72.12% of the small-scale farmers are in need of nursery establishment to progress their abaca production, and 27.88% of them are not. Based on the findings of the regression model, the predictors of needing a nursery establishment are educational attainment (p-value = 0.063), farm size (p-value = 0.030), and abaca yield (p-value = 0.074). This implies that education and training of farmers are very important in adopting technologies and the decision-making process. Moreover, a large farm size and yield require careful planning, economic management, and development, which is dependent on nursery establishment for effective organization and production processes. Hence, the study suggests that farmers must be trained in innovative technologies in agriculture to improve their farming activities, decision-making, and management skills. Furthermore, it is highly recommended that the government should support, especially small-scale farmers, in terms of nursery establishment, agricultural resources, innovative technologies, and financial capital.