Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON RANGELAND & FORAGE CROPS-III, Aydın, Türkiye, 12 - 14 Eylül 2025, ss.194-204, (Tam Metin Bildiri)
The aim of this study was to determine the awareness, knowledge level, attitudes, and perceptions of cattle and small ruminant producers operating in the province of Van regarding industrial hemp (IH), and to examine the relationships between these variables and educational levels. A face-to-face survey was administered to a total of 433 producers; the data were evaluated using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests of independence. Only 12% of the producers stated that they possessed knowledge about industrial hemp; 7.2% reported an interest in its production; and 8.1% indicated that they knew its areas of use. The proportion of those who had used hemp products remained at 12%. While 21% reported that they would consider feeding IH to their animals, 56% were undecided. Those who believed IH was not harmful to animals comprised 33%, whereas 7% considered it harmful and 60% had no opinion. Regarding prejudice against its use as feed, 8.1% declared they held a prejudice, 42% stated they did not, and 49.9% were undecided. The proportion of respondents who had not heard the term cannabinoid was 55%. Those who wanted cultivation areas to expand constituted 27%, those who opposed 15%, and those without an opinion 58%. Educational level showed a statistically significant association (p<0.01) with having knowledge about IH, intention to feed it to animals, perception of its harmfulness, prejudice regarding its use as feed, knowledge of its application areas, and desire for expansion of cultivation areas. In contrast, no significant relationship was found between education and interest in production. Overall, the lack of knowledge and the high level of indecision were noteworthy.
In conclusion, the awareness and knowledge level of cattle and small ruminant producers in Van concerning industrial hemp were found to be quite low. It was determined that attitudes toward industrial hemp did not change markedly as educational level increased. Cultivated areas for industrial hemp should be expanded, and farmers should be informed about its benefits. In particular, it is considered important to plan initiatives aimed at reaching producers who are exploring the cultivation and marketing of industrial hemp.
Keywords: Breeder, Cannabis sativa, cattle, industrial hemp, sheep