The Effect of Agricultural Trainings for Environmental Protection on Farmer Behavior: The Case of Bafra District of Samsun

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of the agricultural trainings for environmental protection on farmer behavior. The data of the study were obtained from the surveys conducted with 56 farmers who participated in agricultural trainings for environmental protection in Bafra district of Samsun. In addition to agricultural training for environmental protection; farmers participated in training for animal husbandry (10.71%), medicinal and aromatic plant cultivation (8.93%), fruit production (5.36%), greenhouse cultivation (3.57%) and beekeeping (3.57%). Of the farmers, 57.14% stated that they found the training about agricultural techniques for environmental protection useful and very useful. Farmers stated that they would like to receive training on pests and diseases control, followed by paddy cultivation and fertilization, respectively. The most important behavioral change that the farmers showed at the end of the agricultural training for environmental protection was the preservation of fertilizers and pesticides so as not to contaminate food products. The benefits expected from agricultural training depends on the application of the information obtained by farmers in their enterprises. For this purpose, agricultural practices for environmental protection should be capable of increasing operational profit. The results of the research show that farmers are willing to participate in environmental protection trainings and they apply the information obtained from the trainings to a large extent in their enterprises.