農業氣象資訊服務推廣成效之經濟價值評估——以四個農會為例

The Economic Assessment of the Agrometeorological Information Extension Services: Examples of Four Farmers’Associations

為研究農業氣象資訊推廣教學活動所創造之經濟價值，本研究利用假設市場評估法，以新竹芎林、彰化竹塘、高雄美濃、花蓮吉安四個農會做為研究對象，進行價值評估。首先於2019年進行第一次問卷調查，取得420位農民對氣象資訊服務之主觀評價及願意支付價格，以此建立該地區之基線資料；而後於2020年，在此四個農會中，選定特定的蔬菜、果樹產銷班農民作為實驗組，進行農業氣象資訊應用推廣活動教學，教導產銷班農民使用農業氣象資訊，而未參加此活動的產銷班或其他農民則作為對照組。最後於2021年進行回訪問卷調查，取得263份問卷。藉由跨年度問卷調查結果，可比較推廣教學活動前後，農民對於中央氣象局農業氣象資訊之主觀準確度評分和對於農作物產出影響程度之判斷，並透過比較活動實施前後願付價格之變化，以進一步做為農業氣象資訊推廣活動經濟價值之推估依據。結果顯示，參加過推廣活動之農民，對於氣象預報服務的願付價格較未參加者高出12%至51%，平均值為每年每人1,175.9元。本文之研究結果不僅可驗證推廣活動對於受試者之潛在經濟價值，同時亦可作為公部門衡量推廣活動成效及進行推廣政策決策之依據。

This study conducts a survey to reveal the farmers’ evaluation of meteorological information and how agrometeorological extension and education activities can improve the value of it. Using the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), a questionnaire survey of 420 farmers in four farmers’ associations (including Qionglin, Hsinchu County, Zhutang, Changhua County, Meinong, Kaohsiung City, and Ji'an, Hualien County) was conducted in 2019 to obtain the baseline data of the farmers’ subjective evaluation and their willingness to pay (WTP) of meteorological information. The agrometeorological information extension and education activities were then held for these four farmers’ association in 2020. Farmers growing specific vegetable and fruit crops were selected as the experimental group and provided with agrometeorological information extension and education activities, while farmers not joining these activities were viewed as the control group. In 2021, we revisited these four farmers’ associations, conducting a questionnaire survey again and collecting 263 questionnaires in the end. Based on the survey results in 2019 and 2021, the farmers’ subjective evaluation of meteorological information (including accuracy score and the degree of impacts on crop production) before and after the extension and education activities can be compared. The results reveal that the WTP of farmers in the experimental group are 12 to 51% higher than the WTP of those in the control group. It is also shown that the economic value of the agrometeorological information extension and education activities is about NT$1,175.9 per person per year. This economic assessment can not only verify the potential value of the extension and education activities but also act as a helpful tool for the public sector to evaluate the extension and education activities and determine whether the activities should continue in the future.