Effective Factors Model for Agricultural Insurance Adoption by Palm Growers in Iranshahr County, Sistan va Baloochestan Province

This research aimed to analyze effective factors on the adoption of agricultural insurance by palm growers in Iranshahr County. Descriptive-correlation study and survey technique were used. The study population consisted of 3000 date palm growers. The sample size was estimated 345 based on Cochran formula. Cluster random sampling method was used to select samples, in which 180 adopters of agricultural crop insurance and 165 of non-adopters were selected from 15 villages. Data were gathered by questionnaire. Questionnaire validity was confirmed by faculty members and experts of agricultural bank and insurance company of Iranshahr County. Reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by calculating Cranach’s alpha coefficient (α=0.8). The results showed that adopters of agricultural insurance have a higher level of education, production, favorable attitude towards agricultural insurance, prospective, risk acceptance, awareness about insurance and commitment to the agricultural bank than the non-adopters. Furthermore, their palm trees are older than non-adopters. Furthermore, those who did not adopt agricultural insurance have more experience in date cultivation and more distance between homes to the agricultural bank. Results of fitting model of logistic regression analysis revealed that the adoption of agricultural insurance can be explained based on nine variables including acquaintance of insurance expert, involvement in non-farm occupation, attitude towards agricultural insurance, number of people under patronage, awareness about insurance, risk acceptability, age, distance from the agricultural bank and amount of the debt to the bank.