EXPLORING SURVIVAL ISSUES AMONG MINORITY FARM OPERATORS IN NORTH CAROLINA

OBJECTIVES: The primary goal of this project is to acquire knowledge of North Carolina’s small and minority farmer and employ this knowledge to help transform their operations into a more profitable businesses, thereby stemming their decline in number and enhancing their economic performance. The specific objectives of the project are as follows: (1) To obtain base line information on small and minority farmers in North Carolina via the collection of demographic and socio-economic data and assess the major problems and issues confronting their continued operation.(2) To explore, analyze and evaluate the feasibility and risk of alternative practices associated with the production, marketing, financing, legal, and human resources issues affecting their survival.

APPROACH: Data will be collected from a sample/census of minority and small-scale farm operators in North Carolina by personal interviews. The Applied Survey Research Laboratory of the Department of Agricultural Education, Economics and Rural Sociology will administer the survey to farm operators throughout North Carolina. A single index model (SIM) will be used to evaluate the risk/return and tradeoff in alternative system of production. Nonlinear regression will also be employed that relates farmers’ profitability and survival to selected predictor variables. Analysis of variance will be used to test for any significant differences. We will also conduct semi-structured interviews or focus groups interviews with small and minority farmers to assess the nature of current problems and issues. A feasibility analysis consisting of a market analysis, technical analysis, financial analysis, and social profitability analysis will be undertaken to evaluated to potential profitability of alternative enterprises and systems of operations.

PROGRESS: 1999/01 TO 1999/12

Survey instruments designed to address the first of the two objectives of this project (a pilot form, a household form and a farm form) have been finalized and are ready to be tested. However, this activity has been delayed due to the effects of Hurricane Floyd which has devastated the area in which most of the minority farmers are located. We are awaiting the resumption of normal agricultural activities in this area for data collection to begin. The very survival of these farmers may hinge on their ability to recover from the effects of this natural disaster. To this end, we have attended training workshops designed to assist farmers in their recovery efforts. We worked with the Extension Service in providing technical assistance to flood victims. We have also met with the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association to apprise them of the project objectives and have obtained their input and support.

IMPACT: 1999/01 TO 1999/12

The project has been successful in providing support to the farmers in their effort to recover from the effects of Hurricane Floyd which directly impacts the survival of these farmers.

PUBLICATIONS: 1999/01 TO 1999/12

No publications reported this period

PROJ NO: NCX-153-5-99-531-1 AGENCY: CSRS NC.X
PROJ TYPE: EVANS-ALLEN PROJ. STATUS: NEW
START: 01 OCT 1998 TERM: 30 SEP 2001 FY: 1999

INVESTIGATOR: Yeboah, A.; Mcdowell, D. R.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIV
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA 27411