Organic Agriculture: Opportunities in Nepal

Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Adoption of Improved Maize Varieties in Nepal

S. Paudel*

Department of Agricultural Economics

Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University

Kirtipur, Kathmandu

*samitapaudel2050@gmail.com

ABSTRACT:

This article provides a review of different papers on adoption of improved maize varieties in Nepal specifically on the factors that have the most significant influence in adoption. The information was collected from the secondary data available and analyzed.  Several studies have pointed out a number of socio-economic factors influencing the farmers’ adoption of improved maize varieties. Among these factors, extension contact, education of household head, farm size and off farm income are found to be major factors having strong influences. Our study recommends the future studies on adoption of improved varieties including perception of farmers.

Key words: Adoption, Factors, Improved variety, Maize,

INTRODUCTION:

Maize is the second most important crop after rice in terms of area (891,583 ha) and production (2231517 t) in Nepal (MOAD, 2017). It is a main food crop of hill farmers and main source of animal feed for feed industries in Terai region of Nepal (KC et al., 2015). The annual demand of maize in the country is about 2.43 million mt. while its annual domestic supply is 2.15 million mt. (MOAD, 2015). During the year 2015 the average yield of maize was 2.4 t/ha, while attainable yield for maize with available recommended varieties is about 5.7 t/ha (KC et al., 2015), this shows a huge yield gap. This high yield gap is due to the unavailability of basic inputs like quality seed, fertilizer, irrigation and technology augmented with the traditional production practices and poor infrastructures. Nepal Agriculture Research Council has developed 30 varieties of maize (NARC, 2016) and in addition, 34 imported hybrids of maize were registered in Nepal (NMRP, 2013).The seed replacement rate for maize is 14.48% which far below than recommended rate of 33 % for cross pollinated crops (SQCC, 2016).Improving the production of maize can be one of the important strategy for maintaining food security and decreasing import situation in Nepal. It would be a wise decision by farmers to adopt improved variety of maize, as improved variety responds better to the inputs used and yields higher compared to local. The adoption of high yielding crop varieties has been solution to the lower production and lower income to the farmers in developing countries over the years (Besley and Case, 1993).Kassie et al. (2012) reported that agricultural technologies like improved seeds and inorganic fertilizers can directly contribute in alleviation of food insecurity by improving crops productivity for self-consumption and also for household income. However, farmer’s decision on adoption of improved varieties is influenced by several factors (Iqbal et al., 1999, Rogers, 2003). The main constraints hindering the maize industry in Nepal are limited numbers of input suppliers, lack of proper knowledge about improved varieties and technology, timely unavailability of demanded inputs and inadequate education (Khatri-Chhetri, 2015).This research is designed to determine the socioeconomic factors influencing the farmers’ decision to adopt improved maize varieties in Nepal. We expect this study will help to identify the determinants of adoption of improved maize varieties by farmers in developing countries. The study also aims to help policymakers to introduce policies accordingly that would help to enhance adoption rates of improve maize varieties and increase production and productivity.

OBJECTIVES:

Broad Objective:

Ø  The main objective of this study is to perform a systematic literature review about the socioeconomic factors influencing adoption of improved maize varieties in Nepal

Specific Objective

Ø  To establish the extent to which age, gender and educational status of farmers influences adoption of improved maize varieties

Ø  To determine the role of group membership influencing adoption of improved maize varieties.

Ø  To determine how economic status of farmers influence adoption of improved maize varieties

RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

This study sought to answer the following questions:

1.      To what extent does age, gender and educational status of farmers influence adoption of improved maize varieties?

2.      To what extent does the farmers’ involvement in cooperatives or group membership influence adoption of improved maize varieties?

3.       How does economic status of farmers’ influence adoption of improved maize varieties?

REVIEW:

Adoption of innovations refers to the decision to apply an innovation and to continue to use it (Roger and shoemaker, 1971).  The adoption of new technologies, such as fertilizer, improved seed, etc. is central to agricultural growth and increasing productivity. Although adoption of new technology is an effective way to increase agriculture production and productivity it is relatively complicate process. In the agricultural sector, widening of adoption of new technology by all farmers is rare due to the various deterrents to adoption imposed by various economic, social, physical, and technical factors .There are several socioeconomic factors influencing the rate of adoption, continuation or discontinuation of new technologies in agriculture sector. Ghimire and Huang (2015) found the positive influence between household wealth index and adoption and intensity of adoption of improved maize varieties. The factors most strongly related to adoption were farmers’ ages, with older farmers being less likely to adopt, possibly because of risk aversion. Education and extension services positively influenced adoption among poorly endowed households, implying that increased awareness and information reduced risk aversion and motivated farmers to adopt new technology. Similarly, Ransom et al. (2003) found significant and positive relation between adoptions of improved maize varieties with khet land area, ethnic group, years of fertilizer use, off-farm income, and contact with extension. Extension services seem to have the biggest impact on technology adoption as farmers who have contacts with extension workers are more likely to hear about improved varieties and thus adopt new agricultural technologies. Mishra et al. (2017) reported household head, age of the household head, full time farm worker Training Received or not, Farm Size, head Contact with extension agents, participation in collective action, Source seed availability, Contact with processor were positively influencing adoption whereas, Distance to market/road and off farm income were influencing negatively on adoption of improved maize varieties. Similarly, Paudel and Matsuoka (2008) found significant influences between winter maize cultivation, education of the household head, lowland area, upland area as well as access to credit and extension services with adoption of IMVs. Subedi et al. (2017) conducted a survey on Socio-economic assessment on maize production and adoption of open pollinated improved varieties in Dang, Nepal and reported that the adoption of improved maize variety is determined by several factors like ethnicity, gender of the household head, area under improved maize, number of visits by farmer to agro vets and seed source. Among the variables ethnicity, area under IMVs and extension service were found highly positively influencing compared to others.

METHODOLOGY:

The study is based on the secondary information collected by reviewing different published journal articles and proceedings. The papers were mainly based on factors affecting adoption and continuation of improved maize varieties by farmers of Nepal and developing countries. Several parameters were found influencing the farmers’ adoption behaviour of improved maize varieties. The research of social scientists have accumulated the various demographic and socioeconomic factors behind the adoption behaviour of farmers like age, gender, education, distance from market, availability of credit, information sources, extension services, knowledge, awareness, attitude, and involvement in cooperatives or group.

DISCUSSION:

In this review we found eleven major socioeconomic factors influencing significantly on the farmers’ adoption of improved maize varieties. The list includes age, gender, and education, farm size, off farm income, extension contact, and access to credit, group membership and marketing distance.

Table 1. Factor estimates of adoption of improved maize varieties.

S.N.	Variables	Studied	Positive	Negative
1	Age	2		*
2	Gender (Female)	3	*	*
3	Education (House hold head)	4	*
4	Farm size (land size)	4	*
5	Off farm income	4	*
6	Extension contact	5	*
7	Access to credit	2	*
8	Group membership (Cooperatives)	2	*
9	Marketing distance	1		*
10	Ethnicity (Brahmin/Chettri)	2	*
11	Household wealth	1	*

The age of household head happens to be one of the human characteristics that have been frequently associated with non-adoption of IMV in many adoption studies (Ghimire and Huang, 2015), (Paudel and Matsuoka, 2008). The older farmers are reluctant to adoption of IMVs than younger which is due to the fact that the younger people have greater exposure to new technologies and ideas and have more risk bearing capacity.

The gender of household head being female was found to be positively influencing the adoption of improved maize varieties in several studies (Subedi et al., 2017), (Ghimire and Huang, 2015) while this result contrasts with Kafle and Shah (2012) reported that the male headed household positive influences on the adoption of hybrid maize varieties than others. The reason behind the female household head adopting IMVs is also the government encouragement of women participation and gender inclusion in various programmes (Ghimire and Huang, 2015).

Education was found positive and significant in a large number of adoption studies. (Ghimire and Huang, 2015) reported that the one additional increase in year of education of household head was found increasing the probability of adopting IMVs by 2 %, the reason behind this is that educated farmers have better information and risk bearing capacity than less educated ones. This result is supported by previous literature (Paudel and Matsuoka, 2008) suggesting that adoption depends on the decision makers’ educational level and access to information because education is thought to create a favorable mental attitude for the acceptance of new practices. However (Mishra et al., 2017) found no significant influence of education of house hold head in adoption of improved maize variety.

 Farm size had a positive and significant influence on the probability of adopting IMVs in several studies. Ransom et al. (2003) reported that every 1 ha increase in Khet land area would increase the adoption of improved maize varieties by 13.5%.It was supported by (Ghimire and Huang, 2015) and (Subedi et al., 2017). However Mishra et al. (2017) reported that the larger land holding size has negative contribution in adoption of maize seed production as they have other options to grow more profitable cash crops, and they are generally food secure and look for off farm employment. The availability of extension services plays important role in increasing likelihood of adopting IMVs (Ghimire and Huang, 2015).This result is supported by Paudel and Matsuoka (2008) and Ransom et al. (2003) that farmers having contacts with extension workers are more likely to hear about improved varieties and thus have more incentive to adopt new agricultural technologies Ghimire and Huang (2015) found that the greater the participation of farmers in groups/cooperatives, the more likely they were to adopt IMVs. Similar findings were found by Sharma and Kumar (2000), this result shows that farmers’ exposure to various information sources is associated with the advantage of new innovations and ability to take risk.

Ghimire and Huang (2015) reported that the distance from market appeared to have a negative influence on the adoption of IMVs among poorly endowed households. Similar result was reported by Mishra et al. (2017) that higher the distance from nearest market center there is difficulty in input and output transportation, and higher transportation cost limits the adoption of improved variety maize seed production. However (Ransom et al.,2003) found out that in remote villages adoption of fertilizer is higher than the adoption improved seed though seed is relatively cheaper the poor adoption of IMV seed cannot be blamed for longer distance from market (Ransom et al,.2003).

The large changes in off-farm income has a positive influence on adoption of improved open pollinated maize varieties. With the increase in every 1000 Rs. increase in off-farm income would increase the adoption of improved open pollinated maize varieties by 0.2% (Ransom et al., 2003).It is a fact that farmers with large off-farm income have increased cash in the family and they will be able to purchase required inputs. Similar findings were reported by (Ghimire and Huang, 2015).However, (Mishra et al., 2017) found households with higher income from nonfarm business and off farm employment are less likely to adopt improved variety maize seed production. As agriculture is a labour intensive and less profitable business compared to others, people with higher off farm income g are not interested in adoption of improved maize varieties. Ransom et al. (2003) reported that credit facility is one of the important factor influencing the adoption of improved maize varieties by the farmers. This was supported by Paudel and Matsuoka (2008).The house hold wealth is another important factor influencing the adoption of improved maize varieties. Wealthier the households more willing to adopt improved maize varieties as they have better ability to cope with production and price risks (Ghimire and Huang, 2015). The role of ethnicity also seems influencing on adoption of improved maize varieties. Brahmin/Chettri ethnic group was found to be positively related to the adoption of improved maize varieties as compared to other ethnic groups (Subedi et al., 2017).

CONCLUSION:

The main purpose of this review was to examine socio-economic factors influencing adoption of improved maize varieties in Nepal. The socioeconomic characters that were included were age, gender, education, farm size, offfarm income, extension contact, access to credit, group membership and distance from market. The adoption study needs location and technology specific study since the same factor may be influencing the adoption of maize varieties in different way in different places. However, from the result we can conclude that the extension contact, education of household head, farm size and off farm income are the major factors determining the adoption of improved maize varieties. The farmers’ perception of higher yield and profitability in IMV should be highlighted through extension agents and information sources to enhance the adoption rate of IMV. Researchers are also suggested to study the influences of communication channels and farmers’ perception on adoption of agricultural innovation which are equally important to the socio-economic variables.

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