Analyses of Factors Determine the Rate and Level of Improved Soybean Variety Adoption Under Smallholder Farmers in North Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Adoption of improved soybean varieties has vital role on enhancing of soybean production and productivity to fill the demand gap of soybean output in domestic oil and food processing factories as well as to substitute the imported palm oil. However, different socio-economic and institutional factors hindered the adoption and adoption level of improved soybean varieties. The main objective of this study was to determine factors affected the adoption and adoption level of improved soybean variety under smallholder farmers in north western Ethiopia. Descriptive and Tobit model were used to analyze the data. Total 167 soybean producers (67 improved and 100 local soybean producers) were taking using systematic and random sampling methods. The descriptive statics result showed that 40.12% and 39.06% of adoption rate and level of improved soybean varieties was occurred in terms of respondent response and area coverage respectively. Both the adoption rate and level is higher in Pawe district (29.34% and 25.90%) and lower in Jawi district(10.78% and 13.16)respectively. The Tobit regression result revealed that participation on soybean demonstration, cooperative membership, training, soybean output affected adoption and adoption level of improved soybean varieties positively whereas seed cost and distance to nearest market affected negatively. The findings suggest that government and stakeholders focus on expanding demonstration approaches, cooperative institution, and market centers nearest to producers and private improved soybean seed enterprise to enhance smallholder farmers’ income as well as to supply enough soybean output to domestic oil and food processing factory.

Keywords: Adoption rate, adoption level, domestic oil and food processing factory, demand, Tobit model

DOI: 10.7176/JESD/10-23-07

Publication date: December 31^st 2019