Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 1
Written by Deniz SARICA, Bahadir Yasin AYDEMIR

Avocado cultivation holds substantial economic significance within tropical fruit production, prompting this research to investigate farmers’ attitudes and behaviours concerning fertiliser and pesticide usage. Data were gathered through a survey conducted across 75 avocado farms in the Antalya districts of Alanya, Manavgat, Aksu, and Gazipaşa. The results highlighted that the primary challenge faced in chemical fertiliser use was predominantly due to high fertiliser prices (90.7%). Additionally, 76% of respondents expressed their intent to increase fertiliser application, given sufficient economic resources. However, only 25.3% of producers agreed that augmenting fertiliser usage would enhance yields. Regarding pesticide disposal methods, most growers disposed of pesticide packages through burning (60%), while nearly half of them identified collecting and reusing as the optimal approach for pesticide packaging disposal. The majority of producers acknowledge the detrimental environmental impact of excessive chemical usage. Nonetheless, their persistent use of these chemicals and improper disposal methods for leftover chemicals and packaging reveal inadequate awareness of environmental concerns. Similar to fertilisation, issues about agricultural pesticide supply were predominantly centred on the exorbitant rise in prices (94.7%), followed by inadequate spraying equipment (6.7%) and insufficient credit for pesticide procurement (5.3%). Consequently, providing financial support through incentive programmes, subsidies, or low-interest loan opportunities is imperative to mitigate costs associated with fertiliser and pesticide purchases. Simultaneously, developing environmentally conscious agricultural policies, reinforced by legal regulations, is crucial for monitoring and controlling the use of fertilisers and pesticides.

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