Factors Influencing Agricultural Technology (Agritech) Adoption among KwaZulu-Natal Commercial Farm Managers

Abstract

The ongoing rise in global population has an impact on the rise in food demand. The pressure on agricultural production is a result of the rising food demand. Although there are difficulties in implementing and using agricultural technology (agritech), it has solutions that might be able to handle the problem of increased food demand. Therefore, this study explored the factors that influence KwaZulu-Natal commercial farm managers in the adoption of agritech. An open-ended e-interview schedule was sent to 26 farm managers in the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast and Midlands as part of the study’s qualitative research technique. The NVivo software was used to organise and manage the data gathered from these e-interviews. The researcher used codes and themes to analyse the data. The findings of this study established that the factors that were common in influencing agritech adoption amongst farm managers were; namely, human behaviour factors, economic factors, science factors and legal factors. This study then recommended that policymakers need to consider these factors for realistic policy frameworks. Farm owners should also consider other means of obtaining agritech which are cost-effective such as forming stokvels. Furthermore, a practical approach could be used to fund the upskilling of the farm workers. A collaborative approach between the different stakeholders is required for the implementation of agritech adoption to be a success in South Africa. State the contribution of this study to scholarship. Keywords: Agritech, Farm Labour, Technology, Management, Agriculture