Factors Affecting the Adoption Level of Good Agricultural Practices by Cucurbit Farmers in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka

Aims: The primary focus of this empirical study was to investigate the factors influencing the level of GAP adoption for cucurbit vegetable in the Anuradhapura district of Sri Lanka. Study Design: Three-stage purposive and proportionate sampling Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Anuradhapura district, North Central Province of Sri Lanka in 2018. Methodology: Primary and secondary data were used in the study. The primary data were collected mainly through a field survey using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire. The total sample size was 120. Key informant interviews (KII), and a focus group discussion (FGD) were conducted to triangulate data and information obtained from the questionnaire survey and to obtain additional qualitative information. Descriptive analytical techniques, analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, and the General Linear Model (GLM) were employed for the data analysis. Results: Results revealed that 40% of respondents are moderate level GAP adopters, whilst about 68% practiced more than half of the recommended GAPs. The results of ANOVA revealed that farmers who adopted a higher proportion of GAPs earned a higher farming income, than those who practiced a moderate or low proportion of GAPs. Similarly, when compared to moderate and poor Original Research Article Bandara et al.; AJAHR, 8(3): 29-36, 2021; Article no.AJAHR.70665 30 level GAP adopters, the average cost of production of higher-level adopters decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The results of the regression analysis revealed that farmer awareness of GAPs, farmer education level, farming experience, farming income, and cost of cultivation have a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the level of GAP adoption by cucurbit farmers. Conclusion: Awareness of GAPs, farmer education level, farming experience, and farming income significantly affect the adoption level of GAPs. Policy priority should be given to planning for a longterm farmer awareness program on GAPs through proper training and extension programs.


INTRODUCTION
Vegetables belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae play a significant role in the vegetable production system in Sri Lanka. The extent of cultivation and the production, as well as domestic consumption of these vegetables, are higher in Sri Lanka. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus), bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), snake gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina), ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula), and pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) are the most commonly cultivated cucurbit vegetables [1]. Commercialscale cucurbit farming applies higher levels of agrochemicals, which affects the quality and safety of vegetable products [2]. The increased use of agrochemicals in agriculture harms the environment and impedes agro-product trading [1]. The concept of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) has evolved to ensure safe and healthy agricultural products in the context of a rapidly changing and globalizing food economy.
GAPs are practices adapted in the agricultural production system for environmental, economic, and social sustainability [3] focusing on safe and high-quality food and non-food agricultural products [4]. The risks of food safety hazards can be reduced by following GAPs. This certification is based on the principles of risk prevention, risk analysis, and sustainable agriculture through the use of integrated pest management (IPM) and integrated crop management (ICM) to continuously improve farming systems [5]. Therefore, the GAP standards have the potential to broaden the inclusion of small-scale producers in the pursuit of social, economic, and environmental benefits [6]. The GAP includes a set of production standards: crop rotation, intercropping, IPM methods, minimum tillage, mulches, cover crops, composts, chemical storage, recording, and worker safety and health, which optimize the use of farming inputs or resources in a sustainable manner [7]. Therefore, the enforcement of GAP has become more important in recent days in Sri Lanka, as increasing risk is prevailing in the country for some non-communicable diseases like CKDu (Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology).
In 2016, the Sri Lankan government launched a GAP program for vegetables in response to international food safety and quality concerns, as well as rising demand for certified safe products [2]. The goal of the GAP program is to reduce agrochemical use, while increasing commodity production and marketing standards. The program was initially implemented in areas such as the North Central Province, the North West Province, and the Southern Province, where most commercial-scale farmers are available and use a high level of agrochemicals [8]. However, GAP adoption by vegetable farmers is relatively low [2]. Further, adoption of the recommended full GAP package is low among cucurbits farmers.
Since the GAPs have been recognized as a type of innovation in the literature, it is reasonable to consider GAP adoption in the context of agricultural innovation adoption. Research [9] has revealed that adopting new agricultural practices is a complex and time-consuming process with various determinants. The knowledge and willingness to learn are critical determinants, especially for knowledge-intensive technologies [9]. The GAP concept is associated with critical production decision factors [10] thus, producers with more knowledge may increase the likelihood of technology adoption. Few researchers including Senanayake and Rathnayaka [11] have studied GAP adoption in the agriculture sector of Sri Lanka. However, there is no evidence in the literature on available studies about the adoption of vegetable farmers for GAP, particularly cucurbit-producing farmers. This suggests that there is a need to investigate the factors that lead to cucurbit vegetable farmers adopting GAP. Therefore, the primary focus of this empirical study was to investigate the factors influencing the level of GAP adoption for cucurbit vegetable in the Anuradhapura district of Sri Lanka. The findings of this study can help policymakers and stakeholders develop strategies for more rapid and efficient adoption of GAPs.

Study Area and Sampling
The study was carried out in the Anuradhapura district, North Central Province of Sri Lanka. Farmers who cultivate cucurbit vegetables in the Anuradhapura district were the target population. The cucurbit vegetables considered for the study were Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia), Snake Gourd (Trichosanthes cucumerina), and Ridged Gourd (Luffa acutangula).
Three-stage purposive and proportionate sampling methods were used to draw a sample from the target population. The sampling frame was a farmer list obtained from the divisional offices of the Department of Agriculture (DOA). At the first stage of sampling, four Divisional Secretariat (DS) divisions were purposely selected covering 50% of the total cucurbit farmer population in the Anuradhapura district. The selected DS divisions are Thambuththegama, Galenbidunuwewa, Rambewa, and Medawachchiya. At the second stage, Agrarian Service divisions (ASD) covering half of the farmer population within each DS division were purposefully selected. At the final stage, farmers were randomly selected from each ASD in proportion to the farmer population in selected ASDs. The total sample size was 120, selected in proportion to the farmer population of the above-selected ASDs (Table 1).

Data Collection
Primary and secondary data were used in the study. The primary data were collected mainly through a field survey using a structured and pretested questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of four (04) sections covering information on socio-demographics, agriculture, GAPs, and respondents' perspectives on the constraints and opportunities for GAP adoption. The study took into account 22 GAPs recommended by the Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka [2] for cucurbit vegetables (Table 2). Key informant interviews (KII), and a focus group discussion (FGD) were conducted to triangulate data and information obtained from the questionnaire survey and to obtain additional qualitative information. Secondary data were mainly collected from publications of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka.

Data Analysis
The collected data were summarized using descriptive statistics such as mean, percentage, standard deviation, and graphical methods. The level of GAP adoption (LADOPT) was calculated by adapting the procedure used by previous studies [12] [13], which generates values ranging from 0% to 100% depending on the number of practices adopted by each farmer (Eq. 01). Farmers were divided into three groups based on their GAP adoption level: good, moderate, and poor. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to compare the cost of production and agricultural income among the three adoption categories.

( . 01)
The General Linear Model (GLM) [14] [15] was used to assess the factors influencing adoption level for GAPs (Eq.02). Hence, the level of adoption for GAP (LADOPT) was used as the dependent variable in the model and Farmers' gender, age, education level, farming experience, the extent of cultivation, farming income, cost of production, and awareness of GAPs are among the independent variables (Table 3). The theoretical model used for the study is given in the following equation (Eq.02).

The Level of GAP Adoption
Based on the number of GAPs practices used, respondents were classified as good (> 75% of GAPs), moderate (50 -75%), or poor (< 50%) GAP adopters. Results revealed that only 28% are good adopters, 40% of respondents are moderate level adopters, while 32% are poor adopters. However, about 68% of the respondents practiced more than half of the recommended GAPs.
This study further examined differences in income and production cost among different GAP adopter categories. The results of the analysis of variance test (ANOVA) revealed that the average farming income and cost of production significantly (p < 0.05) different (Fig. 1). Farmers who adopted a higher proportion of GAPs earned a higher farming income, than those who practiced a moderate or low proportion of GAPs. Awareness on GAPs X8 Cost of cultivation X9 Income from cultivation X10 Input availability

Fig. 1. Average farming income and
Similarly, when compared to moderate and poor level GAP adopters, the average cost of production of higher-level adopters decreased significantly (p < 0.05). This is mainly due to the lower agrochemical costs associated with GAP adoption. These results are consistent with Senanayake and Rathnayake's [11] findings on GAP adoption for potato farming in Badulla district, Sri Lanka.

Factors Affecting the Level Adoption
The results of the regression analysis revealed that farmer awareness of GAPs, farmer education level, farming experience, farming income, and cost of cultivation have a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the level of GAP adoption by cucurbit farmers (Table 04)

Average farming income and production costs based on GAP adoption level
Similarly, when compared to moderate and poor level GAP adopters, the average cost of level adopters decreased significantly (p < 0.05). This is mainly due to the wer agrochemical costs associated with GAP adoption. These results are consistent with Senanayake and Rathnayake's [11] findings on GAP adoption for potato farming in Badulla

Level of GAP
The results of the regression analysis revealed that farmer awareness of GAPs, farmer education level, farming experience, farming income, and cost of cultivation have a significant (p < 0.05) effect on the level of GAP adoption by 04). These five factors accounted for 50% (R2 =0.51) of the total variation in GAP adoption level.
The results revealed that the most important factor influencing cucurbit farmers' level of GAP adoption is their awareness. A farmer having awareness of GAPs uses 34% (β = 34. 16 [13] have also reported that awareness has a positive effect on GAP adoption. According to Bernier et al. [16], ural technology necessitates prior awareness, and farmers who rely heavily on traditional agricultural practices are more likely to be unaware of new agricultural technology. The farmers' awareness can be increased through the extension programs and ng [17] [18], social networking [13], and Results also show that the farming experience [11] significantly (p =0.034) affects the level of GAP adoption by cucurbits farmers. Experienced farmers are typically skilled at assessing risks and managing farming practices [23]. Farmers who have been involved in agricultural activities for a long period may have a better understanding of the impact of poor farming practices on productivity and farm sustainability, compelling them to use more GAPs.
The study findings are consistent with the literature, which indicates that the level of GAP adoption was influenced positively by farming income and negatively by cultivation costs [11]. Higher-income from GAP vegetables allows for better harvesting and post-harvesting, transportation and storage, and more efficient management practices [24] [25] [26] [27]. In addition to farming income, researches [9] [13] have shown that total family income positively influences GAP adoption. Krasuaythong [9] reported that rich farmers are more likely to adopt environmental management practices, as they are more willing to experiment with new technologies, and income from off-farm activities reduces the risk of adopting such practices [28] [29] [30]. Therefore, external supports, enhancing farmers' economy such as sponsorships and public-private partnerships are identified as critical for assisting resource-limited and financially constrained farmers in adopting GAPs.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDA-TIONS
The study found that cucurbit vegetable farmers in Anuradhapura district have a moderate GAP adoption level. Higher-level GAP adopters earn significantly higher farming income and have significantly lower production costs compared to the lower level GAPs adopters. Awareness of GAPs, farmer education level, farming experience, the income of farmers have a significant effect on adoption for GAPs. Further, the cost of cultivation is significantly less for GAP adopted cucurbit farmers. Policy priority should be given to planning for a long-term farmer awareness program on GAPs through proper training and extension programs.

CONSENT
As per international standard or university standard, Participants' written consent has been collected and preserved by the author(s).