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.
Recommended Citation
Hooper, Alan, "Extension Assessments of Farmer Interest in and Uses of Climate Forecasts in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina" (2014). All Theses. 1869.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/1869