Perception of Farmers Willingness to Pay for Learning in Taiwan

The increase of agricultural and food productivity is demanded for feeding the world’s growing population. Extension education plays a crucial role in its improvement. Due to limited government expenditure to meet the need of further learning, farmers are requested to pay for their own extension education. The study analyzed animal farmers’ willingness to pay for learning in Taiwan. Data were collected with a structured and validated questionnaire from 798 farmers. Data obtained from the questionnaires were analyzed using SAS. Results indicated that more than half of the respondents’ work experience was above 6 years (57.4%), daily working time on animal farms was mainly 4-8 hours (41%), the majority were male (85%), and nearly one third (32%) were 25-34 years old. Two thirds of respondents’ education levels (66.7%) were bachelor or graduate degree. Most respondents’ (41.7%) incomes per month were NTD 20,000-40,000 (around USD 667-1,333). The majority of respondents were willing to pay for learning to improve knowledge and skills; only less than 8.8% of respondents were not willing to pay. They were willing to pay NTD 500-1,000 (around USD 17-33) for an 8-hour session per day, while for covering fees for materials or foreign experts, they were willing to pay NTD 1,001-2,000 (around USD 33-67). Those who would not pay for learning showed less motivation for learning activities. Surprisingly, compared with employers, employees would like to pay higher fees to improve their knowledge and skills. Interestingly, almost all respondents with higher education levels were willing to pay much more for learning activities. This research revealed that farmers had a willingness to pay for learning. Extension education should be provided for farmers to help them enhance their knowledge and skills, and maintain their competitiveness in the industry.