Identifier

etd-05302007-183453

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Agricultural Economics

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Fifty Louisiana dairy farmers were interviewed to gather production amounts, costs of production, management techniques, technologies adopted, and demographic information. These data were used to analyze what record-keeping systems the farmers were adopting and to what extent the systems were being used. Logit, ordered probit, negative binomial regression, OLS regression, and double hurdle models were used to determine adoption and intensity. In this study, age was found to decrease the probability that a farmer would believe their computer was not at all useful and also of limited usefulness, while increasing the probability that a farmer would believe the computer was very useful to the farm business. Older farmers were more likely to perceive the computer as more useful. Having a family successor to take over the dairy upon the operator’s retirement affected many things, including: decreasing experience with the internet; increasing the probability of a farmer perceiving the computer as of limited usefulness; decreasing the probability of a farmer perceiving the computer as very useful; increasing the hours spent per week reviewing DHIA output; increasing the number of financial measures tracked; increasing the intensity of use of DHIA after it has been adopted; and increasing the probability of adopting computerized record-keeping systems. If the operator himself kept the records for the farm, then fewer financial statements were generated and less time was spent updating computerized record-keeping systems. These farmers, however, devoted more time to reviewing DHIA output. When the farmer was a technology adopter he was more likely to have experience with the internet and to have adopted DHIA, but spend less time reviewing DHIA output. Also, technology adopters were more likely to view the computer as very useful and less likely to view the computer as not at all useful. The more statements a farmer generated for financial analysis, the more likely he was to adopt computerized record-keeping systems. Thus, farmers with a greater interest in record-keeping were likely to find the computer more useful because it can make financial analysis much easier compared to paper based records.

Date

2007

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Jeffrey Gillespie

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.2741

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