Risk Perceptions and Management Strategies of Rice Smallholders in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
23/12/21 04:25PM
Huy Duc Dang, and Thuyen Thi Pham. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 2021.
Abstract:
This empirical study investigates Vietnam rice farmers’ risk
perceptions, risk management strategies, and the relationship with
socio-demographic antecedents. Data were randomly collected from 194
farmers in An Giang province - the rice bowl of the Mekong Delta region.
A flexible combination of exploratory factor analysis and principal
component analysis was used to elucidate farmers’ opinions towards risks
and their corresponding management strategies. For risk perceptions,
low and unstable selling price, unstable input supply, high and
fluctuating input price, lack of health protection in pesticide use, and
poor quality pesticides were perceived as the top five most important
sources of risk in the studied area. For management strategies, make use
of the combined harvester, adoption of certified varieties, selecting
prestigious partners, increase the percentage of mechanization, matching
production schedule with neighbors, and using climate-adaptive
varieties were the most pivotal strategies to mitigate risks. The
regression results showed that some idiosyncratic strategies can be
driven by multiple perceptions, either negative or positive. The study
provides empirical evidence to suggest tailored agricultural policies to
reinforce farmers’ resilience against risks at different levels.
Free full text http://doi.org/10.15244/pjoes/