Willingness to Uproot Hazelnuts Orchards in Non-Permitted Production Areas: Evidence from Samsun, Türkiye

The aim of the study is to determine the farmers’ willingness to uproot hazelnut orchards in areas where hazelnut production is not allowed. The study data were collected through questionnaires with 105 hazelnut farms selected according to the stratified sampling method in Samsun province, Türkiye. A double hurdle model was applied to analyze the factors influencing producers’ willingness to uproot hazelnut orchards. According to the research results, 65.7% of the producers do not want to uproot hazelnuts, while 9.5%, 10.5% and 14.3% of them want to uproot hazelnuts if they receive 1500 $, between 1501-2000 $ and greater than 2000 $ per decare, respectively. According to the results of the first-stage hurdle model, factors such as the number of non-agricultural employees on the farm, participation in extension services, and land size positively influence the willingness to uproot hazelnuts, while being a specialized farm and the number of hazelnut varieties have a negative influence. According to the second-stage hurdle model results, increases in age, number of households, non-agricultural income, productivity, and hazelnut sales price lead to an increase in the requested amount of support for hazelnut uprooting. The results encourage cultivating high-value agricultural products instead of hazelnut orchards producing on flat and unsloping land. This situation will increase employment opportunities in rural areas and shed light on policies that will contribute to the efficient utilization of agricultural lands.