Factors affecting the adoption of agricultural innovations on underutilized cereals: The case of finger millet among smallholder farmers in Kenya

Abstract

Agricultural innovation adoption is fundamental in increasing incomes and food output in developing countries. However, the factors that influence farmers' decisions to adopt innovations in underutilized crops are not well-documented. Underutilized crops like finger millet have been an alternative form of sustenance for resource-poor farmers especially in arid and semi-arid areas in Kenya. They are more nutritive and resilient to environmental extremes and harsh weather conditions than common crops like maize. The study presented sought to investigate factors that facilitate or impede the probability and level of use of different innovations (improved varieties, conservation tillage, integrated pest and weed management, and group marketing) on the production and marketing of these crops. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to survey 384 finger millet producers in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, Kenya. The study employed a multivariate probit to model simultaneously the interdependent adoption decisions of finger millet farmers and an ordered probit to determine the level of adoption. The results reveal that plot size, off/non-farm income, household credit, and extension contact positively influence the decision to adopt and the level of adoption. Technical training positively affects the level of adoption but negatively influences the probability of adopting some innovations. Awareness of these factors could allow the development of strategies, policies, and plans to increase the uptake and sustenance of agricultural innovations on the production and marketing of finger millet and could, consequently, contribute to the food security and incomes of finger millet farmers through enhanced productivity and marketing of the crop.

Adoption of environmentally friendly agricultural technologies among smallholder farmers: The case of rocket barn technology in flue‐cured tobacco curing in Uganda

“…barn technology. This result contradicts the findings from previous studies, such asAinembabazi et al (2016);Asfaw and Neka (2017);Jerop et al (2018);Muriithi et al (2016) andYigezu et al (2018) who suggested that access to extension information positively influences technology adoption. However, this result can be explained based on the content of tobacco extension information.…”

“…Thus, a decision to start using a new technology is only reached if its perceived utility outweighs that of an existing or alternative technology. The perceived utility cannot be directly measured, instead, it is assumed to be a direct function of the observed socio-economic and institutional variables (Jerop et al, 2018). The fact that the theory acknowledges that there are socio-economic and institutional constraints to adoption, makes it incredibly useful in studying the adoption of rocket barns.…”

Finger Millet Production in Ethiopia: Opportunities, Problem Diagnosis, Key Challenges and Recommendations for Breeding

“…Patriarchy is dominant in the study area, with a negligible number of females having decision-making powers. The disenfranchisement of females, as discovered in other PRA studies, also reflects their peripheral roles in decision-making in agricultural activities and their ongoing exclusion from social services such as training and agricultural extension services [50], despite their active participation in farming operations such as ploughing, weeding and harvesting.…”

“…A low level of education has been identified as a significant factor leading to poor adoption of agricultural technologies and access to information in rural and smallholder farming communities. Interventions such as farmer training and provision of information have less impact on agriculture systems where farmers have low levels of literacy [50,53]. Farmers who have a higher level of literacy are likely to adopt improved technologies and improve their farming practices for higher crop productivity and have the potential to engage in more profitable markets or negotiate for better prices with service providers [50,54].…”

Effects of Production and Market Innovations on the Level of Competitiveness of Sorghum Small Scale Agrienterprises

“…The results concurred with several studies suggest that educated agriprenuers are alleged to have a higher capability to attain, infer and respond to information on available innovations. (Jerop et al, 2018) found that educated agriprenuers are more likely to access information and guidance from extension providers which influence their usage of innovations.…”