Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 23 ISSUE 3
Written by Hasan YILMAZ, Bektaş KADAKOĞLU, Merve Mürüvvet DAĞ, Mehmet YÜZER, Haziret ÜLKÜMEN

Potato is one of the important agricultural products in the fight against malnutrition and poverty. It is also very important for the economy of countries with its contribution to employment and foreign exchange earnings in the production process. The use of certified seeds increases yield in potato production. Potato production costs are decreased due to increased yield. For this reason, certified potato seed use is encouraged by the government in Türkiye since 2005. This study, it was aimed to analyze the socio-economic determinants of government-subsidized certified seed use. To achieve this aim, the socioeconomic and technical characteristics of the farmers using certified seed and farm-saved seeds were compared. This study was conducted with 80 potato farmers. According to the research findings, it was determined that both the farm size, the potato production area and the potato yield of the farmers using certified seeds were higher than the farmers using farm-saved seeds. It is determined that the factors that farmers give importance to when purchasing potato seeds are the seed is cheap, resistant to diseases, and high yielding, respectively. The most common problem faced by farmers in the use of seeds is that the seed is expensive for farmers using certified seeds; It has been revealed that there are diseases and pests in farmers using farm-saved seeds. Considering that certified seeds use is one of the main factors that increase the potatoes yield supporting the use of certified seeds is important for the continuity of potato production and profitability.

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