Abstract:
Adoption of improved maize varieties in agricultural production is considered as one of the
most promising ways to ensure food security and alleviate poverty in Ethiopia. However, the
adoption and dissemination of these varieties were constrained by various factors. This study
was aimed at identifying the factors that influence adoption and intensity of use of improved
maize varieties in Gena Bossa District of Dawro Zone, Sothern Nations Nationalities and
Peoples Regional State. Cross-sectional household level data were collected during the 2015
production year from 120 randomly selected sample household and used for the study. Both
descriptive statistics and econometric model were used to analyze the data. The result of
descriptive statistics indicated, existence of significant mean and proportion differences
between adopters and non-adopters in terms of age of the household head, family size,
educational level of the household head, access to credit, frequency of contact with extension
agent, access to fertilizer, agricultural training, number of oxen owned and radio ownership.
From seventeen explanatory variables included in the model, six variables (access to credit,
frequency of contact with extension agent, access to fertilizer, agricultural training, number of
oxen owned and radio ownership) were the important variables which had positively and
significantly influenced adoption and intensity of use of improved maize varieties. Based on the
findings, the following recommendations were forwarded. Policy and development intervention
should give emphasis to the improvement of institutional support system by strengthening the
existing agricultural extension system, providing the required fertilizes and agricultural
training on time, expanding the distribution of radio program and expanding access to credit
for the purchase of oxen and other inputs to achieve the target of adoption of improved maize
varieties for increasing the production and productivity of smallholder farmers in Gena-Bosa
district.
