Adoption of Improved Maize Seed Varieties in Southern Zambia

Abstract

Maize is the principal agricultural crop produced by Zambian smallholder farmers for household consumption and sale. Their production strategy is therefore important in meeting food security and income needs. This study uses data collected from a survey of a random sample of farm households in southern Zambia to develop a Tobit regression model. The model identifies farm and farmer characteristics important for adoption of improved maize seed varieties as well as to determine the role of farmer perceptions of technology attributes in maize varietal adoption. The results indicate that expectations about output price and yield are important determinants of adoption. Other factors directly correlated with the probability of adoption include the status of being male-headed, farm size and membership to farmer organizations. Households with more wealth and educated heads were also significantly more likely to adopt improved varieties. Some of the policy implications of these findings are that intervention strategies should be designed and implemented to encourage poor households and those with low levels of formal education to participate in local farmer organizations. The positive interaction between membership to organizations and the adoption of technologies also suggests that group based extension approaches should be encouraged not only for their role in collective action but also for their positive impact on information diffusion and technology adoption.

Farmer preference for improved corn seeds in Chiapas, Mexico: A choice experiment approach

“…These farmers mainly cultivated improved seeds with a higher yield per hectare and achieved higher sales. These farmers own more land, consistent with Kalinda et al (2014) finding that improved corn seed use is directly related to the size of land owned. However, these farmers are risk acceptors, as they had more resources to mitigate the effects of risks when adopting new technologies.…”

Adoption and impact of improved maize varieties on maize yields: Evidence from central Cameroon

“…For example, Salifu, Alhassan, and Salifu (2015) used a logit model to analyze the determinants of adoption of improved maize varieties in the Wa municipality in Ghana and found that marital status, characteristics of improved seeds, age, education level, and experience in cultivating maize by the household head had a significant effect on the adoption of improved maize varieties. Additionally, Kalinda, Tembo, and Kuntashula (2014) using a Tobit model found that sex, membership in a peasant organization, farm size, and favorable perceptions towards the potential yields of improved maize varieties and the price of their output positively and significantly affected the adoption of improved maize varieties. In Cameroon, past studies have identified education level, marketing orientation, membership in farmer organizations, farm size and contact with extension agents as factors of adoption of improved maize varieties (MabahTene, Havard, & Temple, 2013;Ntsama Etoundi & Kamgnia Dia, 2008).…”

Preferencias de los agricultores por semillas mejoradas y nativas de maíz en la Península de Yucatán, México

“…These results are reinforced by various authors in different conditions such as the case of Zambia presented by Kalinda et al (2014) where they conclude that the adoption of improved seeds showed a positive relation with the size of the farm or that for estates rented or greater than one hectare, farmers prefer to invest in improved seed with the whole technological package to ensure the yields (Sserunkuuma, 2005).…”

“…Estos resultados son reforzados por diversos autores en diferentes condiciones como por ejemplo el caso de Zambia presentado por Kalinda et al (2014) donde concluyen que la adopción de semillas mejoradas mostró una relación positiva con el…”