-
Essay / Adoption Decision Essay - 1139
2.3.1 Determinants of Farm Household Adoption DecisionThe factors that determine farmers' adoption decision of improved agricultural technologies have been widely studied in the literature on adoption. The adoption decision of farm households is influenced by a number of interrelated elements within the decision-making environment in which farmers operate. Different authors in the adoption literature have stated that the adoption of innovations is influenced by factors such as farm household characteristics (education, age and household size), farm characteristics, technological characteristics, wealth (economic status), contacts with extension agents, farmers. ' knowledge of the specific technology, price, access to seeds and the position of farmers in the peasant organization. Some constraints to the adoption of improved technologies were also studied. For example, lack of credit, limited access to information, risk aversion, inadequate size of farms, insufficient human capital, tenure arrangements, lack of agricultural equipment adequate supply, chaotic supply of complementary inputs and inadequate transport infrastructure were the main constraints to the rapid adoption of innovations in less developed countries (Feder et al., 1985). However, depending on socio-economic situations, not all factors have the same importance. Many studies on technology adoption by producers are linked to individual farmers' choices influenced by factors that can be classified as follows: farm and farmer characteristics; technological characteristics and agricultural objectives (Adesina and Zinnah, 1993). The decision of agricultural households to adopt or not to improve technologies may be influenced by factors related to their objectives and constraints. These factors include the role of farmers...... middle of paper ...... which greatly influence farmers' decision whether or not to adopt improved agricultural technology. For example, the study by Asfaw et al. (1994) in Bako region revealed that farmers' participation in extension activities significantly influenced the adoption of a maize variety. Land ownership can also influence a farmer's decision whether or not to adopt an improved technology. Some literature has shown that land ownership and adoption of improved agricultural technologies are inversely related. This means that farmers who own the land they farm on are less likely to adopt improved technologies. Awotide et al. (2012b) found that land ownership negatively and significantly determines farmers' decision to adopt improved agricultural technologies. Arslan et al. (2013) also found that land ownership is negatively related to adoption and adoption intensity..