Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess farmers’ perception and willingness to pay for pesticides
concerning quality &efficacy, and exploring the socio-demographic factors that influence
the decision to pay for pesticides. A sample of 141 farmers in Hambanthota and Dambulla
regions was selected and information were collected by using a structured questionnaire. An
econometric model called “Binary Logistic Regression” was carried out using six explanatory
variables after screening out of twelve variables in the Chi-Square analysis to identify factors
highly likely to affect farmers’ perception and willingness to pay. The results revealed that four
variables namely; age, average monthly income, pest intensity and action have a significant
relationship with farmers’ perception and willingness to pay for pesticides concerning quality
and efficacy. Average monthly income and action have a positive impact on perception and
willingness to pay while age and pest intensity have a negative impact.
