Utilization and Adoption Intentions of Smart Farming Technologies in Community-based Farming Corporations

― Based on a survey of community-based farming corporations in Shiga Prefecture ―

Abstract

This study involved a comprehensive survey of all community-based agricultural corporations in Shiga Prefecture, assessing the adoption of ten smart farming technologies pertinent to rice production. We employed non-parametric tests to analyze differences among corporations that have adopted these technologies, those considering adoption, and those finding them unnecessary, correlating these differences with measures of organizational innovativeness. Our findings reveal an adoption rate of 44%, markedly lower than the 82.3% reported in the 2022 Agricultural Corporation Survey. Notably, large-scale machinery and data management systems were predominantly adopted by corporations managing rice cultivation areas of 20 hectares or more. In contrast, small-scale machinery was adopted across a diverse range of cultivation sizes, indicating potential growth in adoption among smaller corporations. Across all equipment types, corporations contemplating adoption demonstrated a greater need for consensus-building compared to those viewing the technologies as unnecessary. To facilitate this, it is recommended that corporations engage in regular internal discussions to foster dialogue and alignment on technological integration. This approach can help streamline decision-making processes and encourage broader acceptance and utilization of smart farming technologies.