Journal Article•
Factors that affect the adoption of improved maize varieties by smallholder farmers in Central Oromia, Ethiopia.
TL;DR: In this article, the adoption of the improved maize varieties among households was found to be positively influenced by adult-literacy, family size, livestock wealth, access to output market and credit access for the new varieties.
Abstract: This study aims at identifying factors which affect the adoption of improved maize varieties in three woredas in Central Oromia, Ethiopia. The study utilized cross-sectional farm household level data collected by CIMMYT from 300 randomly selected sample households in 2012/13. Both descriptive and econometric methods have been used to analyze the data. The descriptive statistics were utilized to compare adopters and non-adopters. The logit model was employed to assess the adoption determinants.The descriptive analyses results show the existence of significant mean and proportion difference between adopters and non-adopters in terms of farmer characteristics. Adoption of the improved maize varieties among households was found to be positively influenced by adult-literacy, family size, livestock wealth, access to output market and credit access for the new varieties. On the other hand, farmer associations, distance to main markets and fertilizer credit negatively influenced adoption. Thus, the finding of this study revealed that educating farmers, strengthening extension services, improving farmer associations and improving market opportunities are some of the measures that need to be taken to enhance adoption of improved maize varieties by farmers. Keywords : improved maize varieties, small-holder farmers, adoption, determinants, Ethiopia
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TL;DR: In this article, a multivariate probit model was employed to analyze the determinants of adoption of three soil and water conservation measures (stone bund, soil bund, and bench terracing) at the plot level.
54 citations
Dissertation•
01 Jan 2018
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the economics of smallholder common beans production in Mbeya, Tanzania using both descriptive and inferential statistics to analyse the data collected from a sample of 120 bean farmers.
Abstract: Common bean is a major source of food and income for smallholder farmers in Tanzania.The national average yield for common beans which ranges from 0.72 to 1.10 tone/ha, is far below potential yields recommended by agricultural research (1.5 – 3 tones/ ha) using improved varieties. Low common bean yield is contributed by several factors which lower farmers` profit. This study examined the economics of smallholder common beans production in Mbeya, Tanzania. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyse the data collected from a sample of 120 bean farmers. Gross margin was used to estimate profitability of common beans production. On the other hand, multiple linear regression and logit models were used to determine the influence of socio-economic factors on common beans profitability and the factors influencing improved common bean varieties adoption respectively. The results show that the average gross margin was TZS 309 214per acre which indicates that common bean farming in Mbeya district is profitable and contributes significantly in creating cash income and employment.Multiple linear regression results indicate that farming experience, land size, access to credits and household size have significant influence on profitability of common beans in the study area. Moreover, the results of binary logistic regression show that age, household size, land size, access to extension services, offfarm income activities and distance to the nearest market have significant influence on the adoption of improved common bean varieties. Moreover, the results show that the crop pests and diseases, unreliable rainfall, high price of farm inputs, unreliable market, shortage of land, price fluctuation and low capital are the major challenges faced beans producers in the study area.The present study concludes that common beans production is profitable and contributes significantly in creating cash income and employment in the study area. It is recommended that extension services and credit systems should be
8 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated factors influencing adoption of improved maize seed varieties in three local government areas of Kaduna State, North-central Nigeria, and concluded that improving farmers education, expanding coverage and depth of extension services and strengthening farmer associations are useful policy actions for promoting adoption of maize varieties.
Abstract: This study ascertained factors influencing adoption of improved maize seed varieties in three local government areas of Kaduna State, North-central Nigeria. It collected cross-sectional data for a sample of 180 randomly selected farming households across three local government areas of the State in 2015/16. Both descriptive and inferential analyses were performed on the data. The descriptive statistics differentiated adopters from non-adopters, while the inferential analysis involved estimation of a logit model to determine factors driving adoption of improved maize seed varieties in the study areas. The results of the descriptive analysis show significant mean differences between adopters and non-adopters regarding several farm households’ characteristics. The model results reveal that adoption of improved maize seed varieties among the households was positively influenced by age, household size, level of education, farming experience, labour availability, contacts with extension agents, farm size, off-farm income and membership of associations. Thus, the study concluded that improving farmers’ education, expanding coverage and depth of extension services and strengthening farmer associations are useful policy actions for promoting adoption of improved maize varieties. It is also important to address availability, accessibility and affordability issues constraining adoption, enhance credit access and mitigate risk perceptions. The link between researchers and innovators and the farmers who are the off-takers of their outputs should be reinforced to increase maize productivity in order to satisfy national demand and promote food security.
Key words: Adoption, determinants, Kaduna State, smallholder farmers, maize.
7 citations
Cites background from "Factors that affect the adoption of..."
...The level of education influences positively and significantly the probability of adopting the new maize varieties, suggesting that education endues respondents with greater intellectual capacity and know-how to dissect and assimilate the strengths and drawbacks of new technologies and in deciding to adopt or not (Kudi et al., 2011; Abadi et al., 2015)....
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...Family size matters for supplying incremental labour if the new crop variety requires more hands to cultivate or harvest as a result of higher yield (Abadi et al., 2015; Ojiako et al., 2007)....
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...Family size matters for supplying incremental labour if the new crop variety requires more hands to cultivate or harvest as a result of higher yield (Abadi et al., 2015; Ojiako et al., 2007)....
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..., 2011; Abadi et al., 2015). Curiously, Tesfaye et al. (2016) found a counter-intuitive negative effect of education on adoption of improved seeds in Ethiopia....
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...…the probability of adopting the new maize varieties, suggesting that education endues respondents with greater intellectual capacity and know-how to dissect and assimilate the strengths and drawbacks of new technologies and in deciding to adopt or not (Kudi et al., 2011; Abadi et al., 2015)....
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Dissertation•
01 Jan 2018
5 citations
15 Nov 2019
TL;DR: In this article, the socio-economic characteristics of smallholder adopters and non-adopters of improved maize seeds were analyzed with the use of descriptive and inferential statistical tools.
Abstract: This paper describes the socio-economic characteristics of smallholder adopters and non-adopters of improved maize seeds; compares the physical productivity (yield) level of improved maize seed adopters’ and non-adopters’; determines the differences in cost, revenue and gross margin between smallholder adopters and non-adopters of improved maize seeds in Fako division. To achieve these objectives, data were collected from 150 adopters and 150 non-adopters of improved maize seeds and analyzed with the use of descriptive and inferential statistical tools. The results of the study show that maize production is dominated by educated married women (76.67%) with average age of 48 years for adopters and 51 years for non-adopters of improved maize seeds in Fako Division. Results also show that the average family size is 4 persons who rely on agricultural production as their main source of income and have been farming for an average of 17 years for adopters and 21 years for non-adopters of improved maize seed although without any training in maize production. The result of physical productivity (yield) revealed the existence of productivity gap between adopters and non-adopters with a significant (P < 0.001) positive difference of 297.7kg, in favour of adopters. In the same light, a difference in gross margin of 44,329.28 FCFA (Franc de la Communaute Financiere l’Afrique) was recorded in favour of adopters of improved maize seeds. Therefore, improved maize seed can be considered as one of the empowerment tools with the potential of boosting farm productivity, increasing farmers’ income, increase food security and welfare of farmers in the long run.
5 citations
References
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31 Jan 1982
TL;DR: This article reviewed various studies which have provided a description of and possible explanation to patterns of innovation adoption in the agricultural sector and highlighted the diversity in observed patterns among various farmers' classes as well as differences in results from different studies in different socioeconomic environments.
Abstract: This paper is a revised version of Staff Working Paper 444 It reviews various studies which have provided a description of and possible explanation to patterns of innovation adoption in the agricultural sector It therefore covers both empirical and theoretical studies The discussion highlights the diversity in observed patterns among various farmers' classes as well as differences in results from different studies in different socio-economic environments, and reviews the attempts to rationalize such findings Special attention is given to the methodologies which are commonly used in studies of innovation adoption, and suggestions for improvements of such work through the use of appropriate economometric methods are provided The diversity of experiences with different innovations in different geographical and socio-cultural environments suggest that studies of adoption patterns should provide detailed information on attributes of the institutional, social and cultural setting and their interactions with economic factors These may be an important element in explaining conflicting experiences
3,145 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors review various studies which have provided a description and possible explanation to patterns of innovation adoption in the agricultural sector, and point out that the tendency of many studies to consider adoption in dichotomous terms (adoption/nonadoption) may not be appropriate in many cases where the actual decisions are defined over a more continuous range.
Abstract: This paper reviews various studies which have provided a description and possible explanation to patterns of innovation adoption in the agricultural sector. The survey points out that the tendency of many studies to consider innovation adoption in dichotomous terms (adoption/nonadoption) may not be appropriate in many cases where the actual decisions are defined over a more continuous range. More attention needs to be given to the socio-cultural and institutional environment in area studies so that their interrelation with economic factors affecting adoption can be inferred. The presence of several interrelated innovations is another aspect that needs to be considered more carefully in future research, since a number of simultaneous decisions may be involved. Furthermore, the possibility of regular sequential patterns in adopting components of a new technological package should be specifically addressed in future studies. Finally, the impact of differential adoption rates on land holding distribution merits attention in future research.
2,845 citations
"Factors that affect the adoption of..." refers background in this paper
...Literature on adoption suggests that farmer’s decision to adopt agricultural technology depends on household’s socio-economic, institutional and environment factors (Mariano et al., 2012; Feder et al., 1985)....
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Book•
13 Oct 2009
TL;DR: A review of quantitative methods and models of impact evaluation can be found in this paper, where the basic issues pertaining to an evaluation of an intervention to reach certain targets and goals are discussed.
Abstract: This book reviews quantitative methods and models of impact evaluation. The formal literature on impact evaluation methods and practices is large, with a few useful overviews. Yet there is a need to put the theory into practice in a hands-on fashion for practitioners. This book also details challenges and goals in other realms of evaluation, including monitoring and evaluation (M&E), operational evaluation, and mixed-methods approaches combining quantitative and qualitative analyses. This book is organized as follows. Chapter two reviews the basic issues pertaining to an evaluation of an intervention to reach certain targets and goals. It distinguishes impact evaluation from related concepts such as M&E, operational evaluation, qualitative versus quantitative evaluation, and ex-ante versus ex post impact evaluation. Chapter three focuses on the experimental design of an impact evaluation, discussing its strengths and shortcomings. Various non-experimental methods exist as well, each of which are discussed in turn through chapters four to seven. Chapter four examines matching methods, including the propensity score matching technique. Chapter five deal with double-difference methods in the context of panel data, which relax some of the assumptions on the potential sources of selection bias. Chapter six reviews the instrumental variable method, which further relaxes assumptions on self-selection. Chapter seven examines regression discontinuity and pipeline methods, which exploit the design of the program itself as potential sources of identification of program impacts. Specifically, chapter eight presents a discussion of how distributional impacts of programs can be measured, including new techniques related to quantile regression. Chapter nine discusses structural approaches to program evaluation, including economic models that can lay the groundwork for estimating direct and indirect effects of a program. Finally, chapter ten discusses the strengths and weaknesses of experimental and non-experimental methods and also highlights the usefulness of impact evaluation tools in policy making.
1,049 citations
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: Salami et al. as discussed by the authors investigated trends, challenges and opportunities of this sub-sector in East Africa through case studies of Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania, finding that weak institutions, restricted access to markets and credit have constrained productivity growth of smallholder farming.
Abstract: Adeleke Salami, Abdul B. Kamara and Zuzana Brixiova Smallholder agriculture continues to play a key role in African agriculture. This paper investigates trends, challenges and opportunities of this sub-sector in East Africa through case studies of Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania. In these agriculture-based economies, smallholder farming accounts for about 75 percent of agricultural production and over 75 percent of employment. However, contributions of smallholder farming, and agriculture in general, to the region’s recent rapid growth during 2005 08 have remained limited. Instead, growth was driven by services, in particular trade. This paper finds that at the national level, weak institutions, restricted access to markets and credit. These factors, including inadequate infrastructure, have constrained productivity growth of smallholder farming. Measures needed to improve productivity of smallholder farmers include ease of access to land, training to enhance skills and encourage technology adoption and innovation, and removal of obstacles to trade. At the regional and global levels, international trade barriers need to be addressed.
443 citations
"Factors that affect the adoption of..." refers background in this paper
...This is not surprising because as pointed out by Salami et al. (2010), improved access to input and output markets is a key precondition for the transformation of the agricultural sector from subsistence to commercial production....
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Posted Content•
TL;DR: A review of quantitative methods and models of impact evaluation can be found in this paper, where the basic issues pertaining to an evaluation of an intervention to reach certain targets and goals are discussed.
Abstract: This book reviews quantitative methods and models of impact evaluation. The formal literature on impact evaluation methods and practices is large, with a few useful overviews. Yet there is a need to put the theory into practice in a hands-on fashion for practitioners. This book also details challenges and goals in other realms of evaluation, including monitoring and evaluation (M&E), operational evaluation, and mixed-methods approaches combining quantitative and qualitative analyses. This book is organized as follows. Chapter two reviews the basic issues pertaining to an evaluation of an intervention to reach certain targets and goals. It distinguishes impact evaluation from related concepts such as M&E, operational evaluation, qualitative versus quantitative evaluation, and ex-ante versus ex post impact evaluation. Chapter three focuses on the experimental design of an impact evaluation, discussing its strengths and shortcomings. Various non-experimental methods exist as well, each of which are discussed in turn through chapters four to seven. Chapter four examines matching methods, including the propensity score matching technique. Chapter five deal with double-difference methods in the context of panel data, which relax some of the assumptions on the potential sources of selection bias. Chapter six reviews the instrumental variable method, which further relaxes assumptions on self-selection. Chapter seven examines regression discontinuity and pipeline methods, which exploit the design of the program itself as potential sources of identification of program impacts. Specifically, chapter eight presents a discussion of how distributional impacts of programs can be measured, including new techniques related to quantile regression. Chapter nine discusses structural approaches to program evaluation, including economic models that can lay the groundwork for estimating direct and indirect effects of a program. Finally, chapter ten discusses the strengths and weaknesses of experimental and non-experimental methods and also highlights the usefulness of impact evaluation tools in policy making.
397 citations