Factors affecting demand for compost: a case study in Kurunegala

Composting, as widely believed, is a solution to the ever-increasing solid waste management problem around the world. Most countries convert urban solid waste into compost because of its expected use in productive agriculture. With rising urban waste around the country, the production of compost will also rise in times to come. However, the success of management of solid waste through composting entirely depend on the usage of compost by the farming community, because without demand for such compost, it is not possible to dispose the production. Therefore, this research attempt to analyze the demand for compost by collecting primary data from 100 farmers around Kurunegala area. The data collection method in this study was face-to-face interviews using a pre-tested questionnaire. Several focus groups (N=3) aided the development of questions in the questionnaire. A Multiple Linear Regression was estimated by associating six factors to the amount of compost used by farmers in the area. Regression results shows that income, land extent, sand content, price, and the cultivation type have significant impact on demand. While all other variables showed a positive effect on demand, price and sand content (low quality) showed a negative impact. Results highlighted that for composting to be a viable solution in managing urban solid wastes, a proper marketing campaign is in order by using the four Ps of marketing, the Product, Price, Place, and the Promotion, in a ‘right’ mix.