This study, based on interviews with Satsuma orange farmers and supporters in the JA-KARATSU area, clarifies the introduction and operational realities of heat pumps in agriculture, as well as the obstacles to their use.
We gained five insights that promote heat pumps: 1) targeting younger or those with successors, 2) reducing the cost burden of equipment installation or replacement, 3) providing support to try the technology and perceive its benefits, 4) offering assistance to acquire necessary skills, and 5) establishing systems that provide similar usability to oil heaters.
Heat pumps are expensive equipment. Therefore, it will take time for large-scale farmers to adopt them on a full scale. Measures to support the adoption of heat pumps must consider the scale and sustainability of farming.
