STATUS AND DETERMINANTS OF ADOPTION OF RAINWATER HARVESTING TECHNOLOGY: THE CASE OF SORO DISTRICT, HADIYA ZONE, SNNPR, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Rain water harvesting increases productivity by reducing crop losses happened due to limited water supply, enables cultivation during the lean season and making crop production possible on land where rain fed agriculture is infeasible. Some farmers participating on rainwater harvesting technology but most of them are not practices. The possible reason for non-participating have not been studied systematically in the study areas. This study aimed to identify the status and determinants of adoption of rain water harvesting technology in soro district. Primary data were obtained through questionnaires, personal observation, focus group discussion and key informant interviews while secondary data source are collected from published and unpublished documents. A multi-stage sampling technique was applied to select 135 sample household heads (55 adopter and 80 non-adopter) from three purposively selected kebeles of district. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation and percentage. Also inferential statics: t-test, chi-square and econometric (binary logit model) analysis were employed. The econometric model result indicate that educational status of household head, family size, farm size, livestock holding and frequency of contacts with extension agent were found to have positive and significant influence on adoption of rainwater harvesting while negative and significant was due to age of household heads and market distance. The finding of the study shows that average annual income of adopter and non-adopter was 7290.63birr per year and 4009.31birr per year respectively. This indicates that adopter of rain water harvesting has increased their income by 3281.32birr/year on average than non-adopter. Rainwater harvesting technology gave advantage on rural household livelihood. Therefore, the study calls for team work at different level on expansion of technological development of rain water harvesting and attempt must be made to mitigate problem faced by farmers to enhance educational status of farmers, provision of extension and credit service and expanding road network and they to enhance their adopting rain water harvesting thereby improve the farmer’s livelihood