Effect of Technology innovation on Performance of Small Scale Coffee Enterprises In Mexico
Abstract
The vast majority of Mexican coffee, and particularly organic coffee, is grown by small farmers in the southern-most states of Chiapas and Oaxaca. These two states also happen to be the poorest in the country, and not coincidentally, have the largest indigenous populations. Coffee is a significant export crop in Mexico and contributes to around of US$ 153.4 million annually. In Mexico, among one of the most largely populated countries in North America, land parcels are extremely little, balancing only a few acres. The coffee industry in Mexico is controlled by smallholder coffee manufacturers, with an average of 170 coffee trees each. The earning of the Farmers from the farm outpus depends largely on the leve of production. Thus, conducting a study to examine the methods or approaches that can be used to increase productivity or performance is significant. Access to technology and better infrastructure for Mexican’s millions of smallscale farmers will enable them to progress to commercial scale production and thus improve food security and the overall country revenue. This formed the basis to conduct the study to examine whether technology has an impact on performance of small scale coffee enterprises in Mexico. The explanatory research design was utilized in the study. The target population included small scale farmers in Chiapas and Oaxaca. The results of the study indicated that technological innovation is positively and significanyly related to performance of small scale coffee enterprises in Mexico. The results implied that a unit increase in the technological innovation will increase the performance of small scale coffee enterprises in Mexico by 0.0931. Thus, technologica innovation is one of the fundamanetal factors that need to be taken with much seriousness. The study concluded that technology is one of the fundamental factors that is immprocing the priodctivity of the coffee production in Mexico. The study concluded that farmers need to e helped to advance to the modern technology in farmring. The study recommended that farmers need to adopt the modern technology. Today's farming regularly makes use of innovative modern technologies such as robotics, temperature level and also moisture sensors, airborne photos, and GPS technology is crititcal in enhcing the productivity. The strudy recommended that government and other agricultural stakeholders need to emphasize on improving the farmers with financial literacy and education of the best technology to adapt.
Keyword: Technology, innovation, Performance, Small Scale Coffee Enterprises, Chiapas Oaxaca, Mexico
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