THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY MARKET

Abstract

This study investigates, from the theoretical viewpoint, the factors which affect the agricultural technology market. The following factors are identified as those determinant of the offer of technology: a) objectives of society; b) motivations of researchers; c) research infra-structure; d) availability of scientific knowledge and of technologies; and e) organizational and interpersonal competition. From the demand side for technologies by agriculturists, the principal factors which affect it are considered to be: a) desire for profit; b) capital level of the farmer; c) opportunity cost of the new technologies; d) administrative capacity; e) pressures of farmer groups, of consumers and of agroindustry; f) edapho-climatic conditions; and g) government policy. Finally, the process by which adoption takes place is analyzed as is the manner in which the benefits obtained from the adoption of agricultural technology can be distributed.