Logit Models for Identifying the Factors that Influence the Adoption of Barley Production Technologies in Low Rainfall Areas

A random sample of 300 barley farmers was interviewed during the cropping season 2002/2003 to investigate the factors explaining technology adoption of barley production technologies introduced by the national program. Logit model was used to estimate the relationships of adoption decision and the socioeconomic factors of farmers. Results showed that farm size, farmers’ education, household income and availability of household labor are the most significant factors affecting the adoption of barley production technologies. Sharecropping, farmers age and farm size have negative influence on the adoption of fertilizers, due to the increase in the operational costs. Education is the only factor with a positive effect on the adoption of fertilizers. The sharecropper farmer is more likely to adopt the seed drill than other types of land tenure. The adoption of seed drills was negatively associated with farmers’ age, land ownership, soil fertility and household size. Land ownership and family labor are both factors which negatively affect the adoption decision of herbicide application. Ecological zone, level of education, land ownership, soil depth, sharecropper farmers and percentage of hired labor were positively associated with the chances of adoption of new seed varieties, older farmers may be less willing to adopt new varieties. Agricultural policies could be used to create the conditions that would encourage farmers to adopt new technologies such as promoting proper land use planning, land consolidation, small plots lease system, providing incentives to use land according to suitability and comparative advantage, ensuring custom hiring services of machinery and provide an opportunity