ABSTRACT
The study was conducted in Damot Gale Woreda of Wolaita zone in Ethiopia. The study Woreda was selected purposively based on accessibility and production potential. Out of 51 peasant associations, 4 peasant associations were selected randomly. For selection of study units probability proportional to the size was applied and respondents were selected (adopters and non adopters) through systematic sampling technique. Descriptive statistics and Logit model was applied to estimate the factors affecting adoption of improved maize technology. The study results shows that small holders with more number of livestock, external funding, targeted extension services, unaffordable input price, timely supply of chemical fertilizer and improved seed and farm size are important determinants of adoption of maize technology. Further study reports that adoption is a cumulative effects of several factors.
- Lecturer, Department of Extension and Rural Devlopment, Haramaya University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia .
** Professor and Head, Department of Extension Education, RCA, Udaipur.
INTRODUCTION
Agriculture is the basis of Ethiopia economy. It contributes to over 50 percent of the GDP and 90 percent of raw materials requirement of the country’s small and medium-sized industries. It is also estimated that agriculture provides employment for about 85% of labour force (MEDaC, 1999). The wide variability in agro-ecological conditions helps the country to produce different kinds of cereals, fruits and vegetables, and different species of livestock.
However, Ethiopian agriculture is characterized by low productivity. Over the last two decades it was not able to produce sufficient food to feed the country’s rapidly growing population. The level of technology is almost basic and productivity per hectare is perhaps among the lowest in the world. SG (Sasakawa Global) 2000 indicates that in high agricultural potential areas of Ethiopia (i.e. with high and reliable rainfall), in which crop based system predominates and population densities are highest, productivity is constrained by lack of knowledge, lack of finance and unavailability of appropriate improved technologies. A close look at the country’s declining agricultural outputs and at the same time, ever increasing population growth begs for a search of alternatives. One of the alternatives to bridge this ever-increasing gap between the two is, increasing programs that focus primarily on the delivery of physical inputs such as fertilizer, high yielding varieties of seed, credit supply to small holders and training on improved agronomic practices. This can be done through government support to agriculture and extension by strengthening research extension linkages (SG, 2002). In order to achieve food security, a lot of attempts have been made by the government in Ethiopia over the last three decades but failed to increase the expected agricultural production and bring about noticeable change in the life of the smallholder farmers. In this regard, Belay (2002) suggested that one of the reasons for the existing structural food insecurity in the country is the low level of technology development, which act as the principle barriers to the efficient utilization of the country’s natural resource. Even though different extension approaches have been implemented in the country, it did not bring major or expected impacts on the productivity of smallholders and the utilization of modern inputs