Factors Influencing the Adoption of Rapeseed Cultivation (Case Study of Khorasan Razavi Province)

According to official statistics, domestic production of edible oils provides only less than 10 percent of the country's consumption needs, and therefore every year a significant amount of crude and prepared edible oils and fats is imported to the country spending a considerable amount of foreign exchange. Over the past years rapeseed, as a new product, has been implemented by a limited number of farmers in Khorasan Razavi province. Since the authorities seek to achieve self-sufficiency in edible oils, more attention should be paid to developing oilseeds cultivation, especially rapeseed due to its high percentage of oil and its high quality. In this study, factors that influence the adoption of rapeseed cultivation were determined using Logit model. The study conducted in Khorasan Razavi province in 2008. Using two-stage random sampling, 300 farmers were selected for this study. It is concluded that the variables including area of irrigated cultivation, the extent at which farmers implement advisors ‘ recommendations, communication with farmers who cultivate rapeseed, influence of cultivating rapeseed on Grain yield and agricultural income have a significant contribution to rapeseed cultivation.