Determinants of Adoption of Agricultural Technology in Cameroon; The case of Improved Rice Variety Adoption in the Upper Nun Valley Areas of the West and North West Regions

초록

Fluctuations in the productivity of major cereals in Cameroon have been observed over the past years. The rice productivity in the country is lower than the increasing productivity of this crop in other countries across the continent. This gap has been attributed to the lack of innovative technology development and transfer to rice farmers. The Upper Nun Valley Development Authority (UNVDA) has been implementing state goals in cooperation with development partners aimed at the introduction of improved rice varieties in the area of the present study. Here, we present our results of a survey of 207 rice farmers in some of the major rice growing areas of the north-western and western regions. The survey was conducted to establish the key drivers for the improvement of rice variety adoption. An independent t-test was employed to determine the mean differences in the characteristics of binary-dependent variables. The determinants of adoption were estimated using a Probit regression model with calculated the marginal effects of the variables surveyed. The educational level (P < 0.02), farmers' group membership status (P < 0.000), the source of seeds (P < 0.000), training (P < 0.002), extension visits (P < 0.042), and the reason for producing (P < 0.002) were all identified as factors that statistically increased the probability of making a decision to adopt improved rice varieties. Other statistically significant variables identified to influence negatively the adoption decisions were farmers' farm size and the access to credits. Therefore, farmers should be encouraged to adopt and adhere to improved cultivation techniques to ensure maximum utility of improved cultivation technologies and varieties.

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