ADOPTION OF IMPROVED MAIZE VARIETIES AND ITS IMPACTS ON HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY IN DARO LEBU DISTRICT OF WEST HARARGHE ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The farmers in developing nations should make important decisions to adopt agricultural technologies as a response to the reduction of food insecurity. Because the farmers in these nations face numerous obstacles while attempting to adopt new agricultural technologies, there is a need to investigate such challenges. This paper aims to analyze the adoption of improved maize varieties and its impacts on household food security in the Daro Lebu district of West Haraghe, Ethiopia. Primary data were collected 2023 during production year. Primary data were gathered using schedule interview. Two-stage sampling techniques were employed to draw representative samples. Based on this sample of 350 households of maize producers consisting of 177 non-adopters and 173 adopters were drawn and enumerated. The multinomial logit model was used to study adoption and a multinomial endogenous switching regression model was employed to evaluate the impacts of adoption on food security. The result of the Multinomial logit indicates that education, livestock holding, training, cooperative, and demonstration are the explanatory variables that affect adoption positively. However, age and distance from the market are the variables that affect the adoption of improved maize negatively. The finding of the multinomial endogenous switching regression model shows that the adoption of improved maize has an impact on household food security. The adoption of improved Melkassa-2, Melkassa-4, and both Melkassa-2 and Melkassa-4 have different impacts on household food security. If the household head decided to non-adopt each variety of Melkassa-2, Melkassa-4, or both Melkassa-2 and Melkassa-4, the household calorie intake and food consumption score were decreases by 267.3 kcal/AE/day, 324.4 kcal/AE/day and 403 kcal/AE/day, respectively and 5.6,7.6 and 12 food consumption score respectively. Generally, the study's findings imply that the impact of adopting improved maize varieties on food security varied depending on the varieties to be adopted. From this study, the households that used both (combined) Melkassa-2 and Melkassa-4 are more food-secure than those who adopted single improved maize varieties. The result suggests that to boost maize production and reduce food insecurity among rural households, concerned bodies should strengthen promoting the adoption of both Melkassa-2 and Melkassa-4 improved maize verities. Furthermore, factors like supporting farmers’ groups, formal schooling, provision of training, and prompt delivery of improved maize varieties to farmers must be taken into account.