Determinants of Cinnamon Harvest in Hambantota District

Abstract

This study examined the impact of climate conditions, socio – economic characteristics, agricultural practices and techniques, and biological – environmental factors on cinnamon harvest in Walasmulla divisional secretariat division in Hambantota district. The dependent and the four independent variables were measured by 5 – point Likert scale from 1 to 5 where 1 for strongly disagree and 5 for strongly agree and each variable has four items. Internal consistency of the among questionnaire for the items were analyzed using Cronbach’s Alpha and its values are greater than the minimum requirement of 0.7 for all independent and dependent variables suggests that the items have satisfactory internal consistency and consecutively measure the concept. Adopting the quantitative research methodology, data was collected from 150 cinnamon cultivators through a self-administered questionnaire and they were analyzed using correlation and multiple linear regression techniques. The results of correlation revealed that, amount of cinnamon harvest has positively and significantly related with all independent variables and among them, biological – environmental factors and agricultural practices and techniques have highly correlated with the cinnamon harvest than other variables. The findings of the multiple linear regression model revealed that climate conditions, socio – economic characteristics, agricultural practices and techniques, and biological – environmental factors had a significant positive impact on cinnamon harvest. It is recommended that policymakers prioritize these factors to foster the development of the cinnamon sector by increasing the amount of annual production and harvest in Hambantota district.