DETERMINANTS OF FERTILIZER ADOPTION IN AMHARA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Agricultural development and food security are the major policy objectives of the government of Ethiopia. The need for applying modern agricultural inputs in Ethiopian agriculture is not debatable. Fertilizer is one of the major productivity enhancing inputs. Hence, increased and effective use of fertilizer can be considered as a more plausible alternative in Ethiopia to bridge the wide gap of food shortage at least in the immediate future. This study is designed to identify factors influencing the adoption and intensity of fertilizer use among small holder farm households were analyzed in Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia. The study was based on the data obtained from CSA 2007E.C agricultural Survey. A total of 8,609 households were considered for this study of which 7792 cases were included in the econometric model. Econometric software called “STATA 13” was employed to estimate the Tobit model to identify factors influencing the adoption of fertilizer and intensity of its use. Analysis of the extent of fertilizer adoption by the sample households has shown that 48% of the sample households were adopters. It was found that probability of fertilizer adoption and intensity of its use appear to be significantly and positively influenced by Age, education, Household size, extension service, oxen owned, access to input credit, and household farming activity (being a mixed farming. Sex of the farm household was not significantly related to fertilizer adoption and intensity of its use. Based on the result of the study, the recommendation is forwarded for the concerned bodies