Survey participants responded to a question asking them to indicate and rank their top three areas of concern or barriers to productivity. A list of 11 areas of concern was provided – weeds, insect pests, plant diseases, soil fertility, yields, variety selection, operating loans, quantity of labor, quality of labor, storage of product, and irrigation – and an option to describe additional concerns. Table 8 summarizes their responses and rankings.
Table 8. Areas of Concern or Barriers to Productivity -- All Farm Types (n=132). |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Respondents | Ranked No. 1 | Ranked No. 2 | Ranked No. 3 | Total | Overall Rank |
| Area of Concern | % | % | % | % | |
| Weeds | 47.0 | 12.1 | 15.2 | 74.3 | 1 |
| Soil Fertility | 8.3 | 20.5 | 17.4 | 46.2 | 2 |
| Insects | 6.1 | 14.4 | 7.6 | 28.1 | 3 |
| Quantity of Labor | 9.8 | 9.8 | 6.1 | 25.7 | 4 |
| Irrigation | 4.5 | 6.1 | 7.6 | 18.2 | 5 |
| Yields | 2.3 | 6.1 | 9.8 | 18.2 | 6 |
| Plant Diseases | 3.8 | 5.3 | 8.3 | 17.4 | 7 |
| Storage | 0.1 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 14.3 | 8 |
| Quality of Labor | 1.5 | 6.1 | 2.3 | 9.9 | 9 |
| Marketing | 3.0 | 0 | 0.8 | 3.8 | 10 |
| Wildlife | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0 | 2.3 | 11 |
| Time | 0.8 | 0 | 1.5 | 2.3 | 12 |
Weeds were the clearly the most cited area of concern or barrier to productivity. Weeds were ranked as the most important barrier to production by 47.0% of respondents. Having difficulty with weeds was placed in the top three rankings by 74.3% of respondents.
Overall importance of barriers places soil fertility as the second most important area of concern, being ranked first, second, or third by 46.2% of respondents.
The quantity of labor concern was largely equated with producers not having enough time or energy to devote to all that has to get done. In many cases, they could not afford to hire extra help.
Barriers were subsequently analyzed for agronomic and horticultural producers. Results are reported in Tables 9 and 10. Obtaining better yields, storage of grain, and having varieties suited to organic systems are more important issues for field-crop producers than the general survey population. For horticultural producers, insects, irrigation, and plant disease control are larger issues than for the general survey population.
Table 9. Areas of Concern or Barriers to Productivity -- Argonomic Producers -- a and al Farm Types Only (n=50) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Respondents | Ranked No. 1 | Ranked No. 2 | Ranked No. 3 | Total | Overall Rank |
| Area of Concern | % | % | % | (>2.0%) | |
| Weeds | 54.0 | 18.0 | 10.0 | 82.0 | 1 |
| Soil Fertility | 12.0 | 26.0 | 20.0 | 58.0 | 2 |
| Yields | 6.0 | 12.0 | 20.0 | 38.0 | 3 |
| Insects | 0.0 | 12.0 | 6.0 | 18.0 | 4 |
| Storage | 2.0 | 6.0 | 10.0 | 18.0 | 5 |
| Varieties | 0.0 | 4.0 | 12.0 | 16.0 | 6 |
| Quantity of Labor | 8.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 12.0 | 7 |
| Quality of Labor | 0.0 | 6.0 | 4.0 | 10.0 | 8 |
| Marketing | 6.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 9 |
Table 10. Areas of Concern or Barriers to Productivity -- Horticultural Producers -- v, f, vf, vl, fl, vfl Farm Types Only (n=54) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Respondents | Ranked No. 1 | Ranked No. 2 | Ranked No. 3 | Total | Overall Rank |
| Area of Concern | % | % | % | (>2.0%) | |
| Weeds | 35.2 | 11.1 | 16.7 | 63.0 | 1 |
| Insects | 11.1 | 20.4 | 11.1 | 42.6 | 2 |
| Irrigation | 9.3 | 11.1 | 13.0 | 33.3 | 3 |
| Soil Fertility | 5.6 | 9.3 | 16.7 | 31.5 | 4 |
| Plant Disease | 3.7 | 7.4 | 20.4 | 31.5 | 5 |
| Quantity of Labor | 13.0 | 11.1 | 5.6 | 29.6 | 6 |
| Storage | 0.0 | 11.1 | 1.9 | 13.0 | 7 |
| Quality of Labor | 3.7 | 5.6 | 0.0 | 9.3 | 8 |
| Yields | 0.0 | 3.7 | 0.0 | 5.6 | 9 |
| Varieties | 1.9 | 3.7 | 0.0 | 5.6 | 10 |
| Times | 1.9 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 3.7 | 11 |