Technologies: economic and other considerations
Why analyze technologies?
Farmers only adopt if they know about, understand, can access and perceive benefit from a new technology. The following tables will help you evaluate technologies and whether they may be attractive to farmers.
| Existing practice | Proposed practice | Difference | |
| Cost of practice (more, less same)? | |||
| Expected yield (more, less same)? | |||
| Labor requirements (same, more, less)? | |||
| Risk (i.e., probability of success - low, medium, high)? | |||
| Are labor and inputs available as & when needed (yes/no)? | |||
| Effects on environment (same, better, worse)? | |||
| Effects on human health (same, better, worse)? | |||
| Grain or by-product value? (same, more, less)? | |||
| Amount of grain needed to cover cost of practice? | |||
| Can produce be readily marketed (yes, no)? | |||
| Expected income? | |||
| Cost of practice as a percent of total production costs? |
| Characteristics of Successful Innovations | Rate your technology against these criteria (Good, medium, poor) |
| Is relative advantage obvious (cost-benefit)? | |
| Is the practice compatible with existing farming system (e.g., labor requirements, cropping pattern)? | |
| Is the practice too complex or can it be readily understood? | |
| Can the practice be tested on a small area? | |
| Can I see the difference? | |
| What's the risk* - (High, medium, low) |
It has been found that farmers in general will accept somewhat lower profit if it comes with less risk rather than higher profit with more risk and greater uncertainty.
Prepared with input from: M Bell, D Dawe, M Escalada, and KL Heong