Utilizing Biofertilizer for Achieving Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy towards Vision 2040, Oman

Abstract

The agriculture industry in the Western world is increasingly using biofertilizers, considering the environmental aspects and organic food. Sustainability in agriculture is the primary priority of the government of the Sultanate of Oman. In order to improve and develop the agricultural sector for community development, the government of Oman is paying special attention to its Vision 2040 in line with sustainable development goals. Hence, the aim of the research is to analyze the behavioral aspects of farmers and farmholders towards utilizing biofertilizers for saving the environment as well as providing organic food and bringing sustainability to the agriculture sector of the country. In order to meet the objectives of the study mixed method research has been used. An interview guide has been developed, a questionnaire has also been developed, and the instruments have been approved by the experts. The interview data were analyzed, and afterward, primary data were collected. To test the hypothesis and the framework, Smart PLS 3 has been used. The findings identified that farmers in Oman are reluctant to use biofertilizers because of a lack of awareness, but yet they are using it up to some extent and the proposed model has proven to be significant. The findings are useful not only for the policymakers but also for the practitioners who can obtain guidance about the benefits they can gain from the use of biofertilizers.