1st DRAFT manuscript being reviewed/updated.

Target publication: Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resources Economics

Factors determinant of chili-pepper cultivation and adoption of improved

crop production technologies in Central Java, Indonesia
Joko Mariyono and Madhusudan Bhattarai
AVRDC-The World Vegetable Centre, Taiwan

Abstract
This paper analyzes socio-economic factors affecting farmers behavior on adoption of chili-pepper,
intensity to grow the crop, and adoption of crop production technologies in Central Java province,
which is a leading chili growing province of Indonesia. Chili is a high value vegetable in Asia, and its
cultivation is relatively more profitable than other vegetables and rice, but its cultivation also demands
for more cash inputs and labor than growing other local vegetables and rice. Data for this study were
compiled from a comprehensive household survey across 220 farmers in three districts of Central
Java: Magelang, Brebes and Rembang, which was carried out in middle of 2008. The study results
suggest that having knowledge on alternative control measures of pests and diseases on chili will also
encourage farmers to grow chili more intensively (with allocation of more crop acreage). Likewise, a
younger farmer, a more experienced farmer in growing vegetable crops , a farmer already using a
mobile phone, and a farmer with better access to chili would likely to allocate more crop acreage for
chili than their counter parts in the farming community. Related to adoption of technologies, farmers
with better access to credit and more education would more likely to adopt improved crop production
technologies on chili such as application of plastic mulch, and use of hybrid seed. Among the three
improved technology types selected, exact response of a factor affecting adoption behavior of farmer
varies by the technology-types.

The study findings would be useful in understanding farmers

behavior on chili farming, and formulation of better policy recommendations for strengthening chili
(and related high value vegetables) cultivation in Indonesia, and similar in tropical Asia in general,
where chili is grown intensively and as a cash crop vegetable.
Keywords: Chili-pepper cultivation, technology adoption, economic analysis, vegetables farming,
insect pest control, Central Java, Indonesia.