Agricultural insurance is recognized as an important tool to assist farmers in mitigating some of the negative financial effects of unfavorable natural events. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the level of farmers' awareness regarding the advantages and disadvantages of agricultural insurance and how this awareness impacts their acceptance of such insurance. The target population comprises all producers of four agricultural products: wheat, barley, canola, and rice, totaling 26,290 individuals in Neka County, Mazandaran Province. A sample size of 380 individuals was selected using a multi-stage cluster sampling method from 5 districts and 13 villages, following Krejcie and Morgan's (1970) table. The research instrument was a researcher-developed questionnaire, the validity and reliability of which were assessed and confirmed through expert opinions and the calculation of Cronbach's alpha coefficient (between 0.73-0.76). The results indicated that respondents lack sufficient awareness regarding the advantages and disadvantages of agricultural insurance, with 74.47% and 83.16% of respondents having moderate to low knowledge, respectively. According to the results of the chi-square test, the main sources of information for insurance acceptance among respondents are agricultural service experts, neighboring farmers, family and relatives, and insurance brokers. The results of the Mann-Whitney test showed that farmers are inclined to accept insurance due to factors such as drought, water scarcity, and pest and disease attacks. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the variables of education, income from agricultural activities, perception of reduced production, participation in insurance training courses, trust in insurance brokers, and knowledge of the benefits of crop insurance positively influence the acceptance of agricultural insurance. Conversely, the variables of age, perception of increased production, and knowledge of the disadvantages of crop insurance negatively affect the likelihood of acceptance. The results emphasize that enhancing knowledge regarding benefits and providing accurate information to alter negative attitudes towards agricultural insurance should be prioritized in the educational and promotional programs of the Ministry of Agriculture-Jahad.
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