Awareness and adoption of smart beekeeping technologies among migratory beekeepers in Türkiye: the case of Mersin, Denizli, and Kırklareli

This paper investigates the awareness, perceived benefits and barriers, and adoption intentions of smart beekeeping technologies among migratory beekeepers in Türkiye. A survey consisting of 24 questions divided into six thematic categories has been conducted to 44 beekeepers from three regions (Denizli n=11, Kırklareli n=21, Mersin n=12) via telephone interviews. The survey has a high internal consistency and its Cronbach’s Alpha result has been calculated as 0.85. The Cronbach’s Alpha results calculated for six categories in the survey ranged between 0.73 and 0.98. The results show significant differences between the regions. The highest scores in Technological Readiness and Expectations for Education and Support were obtained in Mersin, whereas Kırklareli received the lowest scores in the category of Knowledge and Awareness and in Perceived Benefits. Although the level of Knowledge and Awareness is average in Denizli, this province obtained the highest scores in Perceived Benefits as well as in Acceptance and Intention. This result suggests that willingness to adopt is not only dependent on knowledge but also shaped by contextual needs and perceived value. While respondents in Kırklareli stated many concerns with respect to the cost and technical challenges, a high expectation for education and support were observed across all regions. This study provides empirical insights into the digital transformation of the Turkish beekeeping sector and contributes to the agricultural technology adoption literature.