International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment

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Assessing Factors Influencing Farmers Adoption of Improved Potato Varieties in Malawi

Received: 15 August 2018    Accepted: 01 September 2018    Published: 28 February 2019
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Abstract

Cultivation of improved varieties is one way of increasing productivity of many crops especially in developing countries where there is pressure of land due to high population growth. Adoption studies have proved to be helpful in giving the picture of the performance of technologies amongst users like farmers and in line with this the study was carried out to assess the factors that influence a farmer to adopt improved potato varieties using cross-sectional data that was collected from 300 households by the International Potato Center (CIP) in 2013. The study used a Hurdle Poisson model to effectively assess the socio-economic and demographic characteristics that influence farmers to adopt improved potato varieties. The results of the study show that amongst the household socio-economic characteristics that were included in the model, age of the household head and farm size were significant at 5 percent level of significance whilst access to information through extension agents and distance to the market were the institutional factors that significantly influence a farmer. The results further show that the variety characteristics that were significant in influencing adoption of improved potato varieties included high yield, early maturity and larger tuber size that were preferred variety characteristics. Results of the decision on how many potato varieties individual farmer decides to grow shows that age of the household head, access to information and varieties that are high yielding had a significant influence. To increase adoption of recommended potato production practices, it was recommended that extension agents should be well involved in disseminating these production practices by using open field days, demonstration and control plots to encourage farmers to adopt the production practices. Secondly, the study also recommended that Government and other stakeholders need to also invest in extension service in sensitizing potato farmers in key potato production areas especially on production practices that have potential to increase level of adoption as well as farmer’s productivity and income.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijeee.20190401.11
Published in International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment (Volume 4, Issue 1, February 2019)
Page(s) 1-10
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Adoption, Improved Potato Varieties, Hurdle Poisson

References
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[2] African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) (2012). Population, Climate Change, and Sustainable Development in Africa: [http://pai.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/PAI- AFIDEP.pdf] site visited on 20/3/2015.
[3] FAO and UNIDO (2009). Agro-industries for development: Edited by Carlos A. da Silva and Doyle Baker: Printed and bound in the UK by the MPG Books Group, Bodmin. Published jointly by CAB International and FAO: CABI Head Office: No worthy Way: Wallingford: Oxford shire OX10 8DE, UK.
[4] Gabor, K., Carlos, A., da Silva and Nomathemba, M. (2013). Enabling environments for Agribusiness and Agro-industries Development: Regional and country perspectives: ISBN 978-92-5- 107410-7: Publishing Policy and Support Branch, Office of Knowledge Exchange, Research and Extension, FAO, VialedelleTerme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy, 71pp[http://www.fao.org/] Site visited on 31/10/2016.
[5] CIMMYT Economics Program, (1993). The adoption of agricultural technology. A guide for survey design. Mexico, D. F.: CIMMYT.
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[9] Kormawa, P. M., Ezedinma, C. I. and Singh B. B. (2004). Factors Influencing Farmer-to-Farmer Transfer of an Improved Cowpea variety in Kano State, Nigeria. Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics Volume 105, No. 1, 2004, pages 1–13.
[10] Paudel, P. and Matsuoka, A. (2008). Factors Influencing Adoption of Improved Maize Varieties in Nepal: A Case Study of Chitwan District. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 2(4): 823-834.
[11] Namwata B. M. L., Lwelamira, J. and Mzirai, O. B. (2010). Adoption of improved agricultural technologies for Irish potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) among farmers in Mbeya Rural district, Tanzania: A case of Ilungu ward. Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences. Vol. 8, Issue 1: 927- 935.
[12] Estrada, J. M. (2004). Regional overview of the soybean markets: Challenges and opportunities for smallholder farmers in Southern Africa Study commissioned by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
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[15] Pattanayak, S. K., Mercer. D. E., Sills, E. and Yang, J. C. (2003). Taking Stock of Agroforestry Adoption Studies. Agroforestry Systems 57:173–186. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Netherlands.
[16] Bandiera, O., and Rasul, I. (2005). Social Networks and Technology Adoption in Northern Mozambique. The Economic Journal 116(514): 869-902. Calcutta. pp. 65-72.
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[19] Adesina, A. A., and Forson, J. B. (1995). Farmers' Perceptions and Adoption of New Agricultural Technology: Evidence from Analysis in Burkina Faso and Guinea, West Africa. Agricultural Economics 13: 1-9.
[20] Doss, C. R. (2003). Understanding farm level technology adoption: Lessons learned from CIMMYT’s micro surveys in Eastern Africa. CIMMYT economics working paper 03-07. Mexico, D. F.: CIMMYT.
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[22] Doss, C. R., Wangi, M., Verkuijl, H. and De Groote, H. (2003). Adoption of Maize and Wheat Technologies in Eastern Africa: A Synthesis of the Findings of 22 Case Studies. CIMMYT Economics Working Paper 03-06. Mexico, D. F.: CIMMYT.
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[28] Umar, G. (2016). Factors influencing adoption of recommended Irish potato production practices in Kudan and Giwa local government areas of Kaduna state, Nigeria.
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Author Information
  • International Potato Center, Lilongwe, Malawi

  • International Potato Center, Lilongwe, Malawi

  • United Nations Development Program, Lilongwe, Malawi

  • International Potato Center, Kampala, Uganda

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    Kapalasa Eliya, Demo Paul, Nyekanyeka Ted, Okero Julius. (2019). Assessing Factors Influencing Farmers Adoption of Improved Potato Varieties in Malawi. International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment, 4(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20190401.11

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    Kapalasa Eliya; Demo Paul; Nyekanyeka Ted; Okero Julius. Assessing Factors Influencing Farmers Adoption of Improved Potato Varieties in Malawi. Int. J. Econ. Energy Environ. 2019, 4(1), 1-10. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeee.20190401.11

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    AMA Style

    Kapalasa Eliya, Demo Paul, Nyekanyeka Ted, Okero Julius. Assessing Factors Influencing Farmers Adoption of Improved Potato Varieties in Malawi. Int J Econ Energy Environ. 2019;4(1):1-10. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeee.20190401.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijeee.20190401.11,
      author = {Kapalasa Eliya and Demo Paul and Nyekanyeka Ted and Okero Julius},
      title = {Assessing Factors Influencing Farmers Adoption of Improved Potato Varieties in Malawi},
      journal = {International Journal of Economy, Energy and Environment},
      volume = {4},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1-10},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijeee.20190401.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20190401.11},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijeee.20190401.11},
      abstract = {Cultivation of improved varieties is one way of increasing productivity of many crops especially in developing countries where there is pressure of land due to high population growth. Adoption studies have proved to be helpful in giving the picture of the performance of technologies amongst users like farmers and in line with this the study was carried out to assess the factors that influence a farmer to adopt improved potato varieties using cross-sectional data that was collected from 300 households by the International Potato Center (CIP) in 2013. The study used a Hurdle Poisson model to effectively assess the socio-economic and demographic characteristics that influence farmers to adopt improved potato varieties. The results of the study show that amongst the household socio-economic characteristics that were included in the model, age of the household head and farm size were significant at 5 percent level of significance whilst access to information through extension agents and distance to the market were the institutional factors that significantly influence a farmer. The results further show that the variety characteristics that were significant in influencing adoption of improved potato varieties included high yield, early maturity and larger tuber size that were preferred variety characteristics. Results of the decision on how many potato varieties individual farmer decides to grow shows that age of the household head, access to information and varieties that are high yielding had a significant influence. To increase adoption of recommended potato production practices, it was recommended that extension agents should be well involved in disseminating these production practices by using open field days, demonstration and control plots to encourage farmers to adopt the production practices. Secondly, the study also recommended that Government and other stakeholders need to also invest in extension service in sensitizing potato farmers in key potato production areas especially on production practices that have potential to increase level of adoption as well as farmer’s productivity and income.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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    T1  - Assessing Factors Influencing Farmers Adoption of Improved Potato Varieties in Malawi
    AU  - Kapalasa Eliya
    AU  - Demo Paul
    AU  - Nyekanyeka Ted
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeee.20190401.11
    AB  - Cultivation of improved varieties is one way of increasing productivity of many crops especially in developing countries where there is pressure of land due to high population growth. Adoption studies have proved to be helpful in giving the picture of the performance of technologies amongst users like farmers and in line with this the study was carried out to assess the factors that influence a farmer to adopt improved potato varieties using cross-sectional data that was collected from 300 households by the International Potato Center (CIP) in 2013. The study used a Hurdle Poisson model to effectively assess the socio-economic and demographic characteristics that influence farmers to adopt improved potato varieties. The results of the study show that amongst the household socio-economic characteristics that were included in the model, age of the household head and farm size were significant at 5 percent level of significance whilst access to information through extension agents and distance to the market were the institutional factors that significantly influence a farmer. The results further show that the variety characteristics that were significant in influencing adoption of improved potato varieties included high yield, early maturity and larger tuber size that were preferred variety characteristics. Results of the decision on how many potato varieties individual farmer decides to grow shows that age of the household head, access to information and varieties that are high yielding had a significant influence. To increase adoption of recommended potato production practices, it was recommended that extension agents should be well involved in disseminating these production practices by using open field days, demonstration and control plots to encourage farmers to adopt the production practices. Secondly, the study also recommended that Government and other stakeholders need to also invest in extension service in sensitizing potato farmers in key potato production areas especially on production practices that have potential to increase level of adoption as well as farmer’s productivity and income.
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