Reasons of Farmers’ Reluctance Regarding Faba Bean Production in some Villages of El-Beheira Governorate

The faba bean crop is considered as one of the most important food crops in Egypt. The statistics show the extent to which production has failed to meet the increasing local demand due to the decreasing area cultivated with faba bean due to the farmer’s reluctance to cultivate it.
This research mainly aimed at 1. Identifying the main reasons for the reluctance of some farmers to grow faba beans. 2. The most important problems facing farmers who continued to grow it, and finally 3. Identifying the most important recommendations to encourage the expansion of this crop in the future.
The research was conducted in three villages at El-Beheira Governoratein 2019. The focus group discussion was mainly used for the purpose of data collection. Group interviews were conducted with two groups of farmers in each of the villages under study. Each group consisted of 20 farmers. The first group were the farmers who were reluctant to grow faba beans (60 farmers). The second group were the farmers who grew faba beans and did not hesitate to plant it (60 farmers). In addition, opinions of guides and agricultural extension workers in the study area were obtained from 8 workers.
The findings of the study revealed that the reasons for the reluctance of the farmers to grow faba beans were categorized into the following categories: Ⅰ. Reasons related to the economics and marketing of the crop such as 1- Low selling price of the crop and 2. Low net return from the acre. Ⅱ. Reasons related to agricultural policies, such as the absence of contract farming. Ⅲ. Reasons related to the technical aspect of production the most important of which is the lack of seeds resistant to infection with peril disease. Ⅳ. Reasons related to the characteristics of the farmer himself, the most important of which is the lack of knowledge of integrated control of weeds. Ⅴ. Reasons related to the role of the agricultural cooperatives in supporting the farmer with fertilizers, pesticides and seeds necessary for the cultivation of faba beans, at the right time and with reasonable prices.
The most important recommendations to encourage the expansion of this crop in the future were discussed.