Young farmers attitude to innovation in Vojvodina (Serbia)

Abstract

The aim of the work was gathering information on the recent position of Young farmers in order to estimate their intention of innovation, the development of the farm and the possibilities in the increase of their competitiveness. Data came from a broader research in the DKMT Euroregion (Vojvodina, West Romania and South-East Hungary). Young farmers were interviewed (n=20) with a standard questionnaire. The survey was not representative. The answers were processed by Lickert-scale. During the questioning we focused on: the level of mechanization and technology of the farm; the genetic background of the applied varieties and breeds; the used digital technology, information resources, marketing and the factors of motivation to innovate. Most of the answerers were self-employed or family farm. They characterized themselves as: average size farms with average technologies on chernozem soils. They considered important precondition for the innovation of farming the following factors: new and stabile market of agricultural products, predictable economic environment, the use of funds (subsidies), get know new technologies and obtain information continuously (agricultural advisors, farmers’ meetings, agricultural programs in television, professional journals and books). They found less important the role of internet sites, research results and the offers of companies. The farmers are hardly ready to cooperate with research institutes, because they are afraid of the risks of the experiments. All of them aware of the advantages and disadvantages of a possible EU accession of Serbia, and the legal regulation of CAP.