Purpose: Groundnut farmers in East Africa have experienced declines in production despite research and extension efforts to increase productivity. This study examined how social network structures related to acquisition of information about new seed varieties and productivity among groundnut farmers in Uganda and Kenya. Design/methodology/approach: Data came from face-to-face interviews with a sample of 491 farmers randomly selected from a larger frame purposefully selected to represent farmers who had worked with researchers and farmers who had not, and to represent both male and female farmers. We used social network analysis to visualize and interpret patterns of farmers' networks with regard to information sources, productivity supports and local group affiliations. Findings: Ugandan farmers primarily used weak ties with researchers and extension agents as sources of information. In contrast, Kenyan farmers used strong ties with close associates. For farmers in both countries weak ties were least associated with productivity. Strong ties, natural factors and farmers' own experience with new varieties were most associated with productivity. The majority of farmers had ties to local groups to strategically pool risks and access available resources. Practical implications: Visualizing farmers' social networks enables policy-makers and change agents to identify relevant social relationships that could be utilized strategically to increase the capacities of poor farming communities. Originality/value: The study demonstrates that important differences in social network structures can exist among farmers in similar geographic regions producing similar crops.
This study provides empirical evidence of factors that influence the adoption of an improved groundnut variety (La Fleur 11), and chemical fertilizer in the Senegalese Groundnut Basin. Pooled cross-sectional time-series farm level data collected in the Basin are used to estimate univariate and bivariate probit models. Results show that the decision to plant La Fleur 11 and to use chemical fertilizer on groundnuts is independent from each other. Adoption of La Fleur 11 was positively associated with ownership of draft power, but negatively related to farmer’s experience and location. Fertilizer use was positively affected by farm size, the number of plots and location, and negatively affected by access to off-farm income and ownership of draft power. Results suggest a need to tailor the diffusion of productivity enhancing inputs to area specific conditions and to design technology adoption strategies within a broader policy environment.
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