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Determinants of agricultural technology adoption under partial population awareness: the case of pigeonpea in Malawi

Author

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  • Franklin Simtowe

    (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT))

  • Solomon Asfaw

    (Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO))

  • Tsedeke Abate

    (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT))

Abstract

There is exhaustive literature on technology adoption rates and the relationship between technology adoption and relevant socioeconomic and policy variables. Yet adoption estimates derived from the application of standard techniques such as the probit and tobit yield biased estimates. This paper applies the modern evaluation technique: the counterfactual outcome framework to data from about 400 households in Malawi to assess the patterns of diffusion and adoption of improved pigeonpea varieties and their determinants. We find the sample adoption rate of improved varieties to be 14 % while the potential adoption rate if the improved varieties were widely disseminated is estimated at 41 %. The adoption gap resulting from the incomplete exposure to the improved pigeonpea is 27 %. Moreover, adoption is also found to be high among female-headed households, older farmers and those with access to credit. The findings suggest that for increased adoption, there is need for increased involvement of extension workers is the dissemination of information about improved pigeonpea varieties, a robust pigeonpea seed system to increase seed availability to farmers as well as the need for improved access to credit.

Suggested Citation

  • Franklin Simtowe & Solomon Asfaw & Tsedeke Abate, 2016. "Determinants of agricultural technology adoption under partial population awareness: the case of pigeonpea in Malawi," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 4(1), pages 1-21, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:agfoec:v:4:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1186_s40100-016-0051-z
    DOI: 10.1186/s40100-016-0051-z
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    2. Che, Yuyuan & Feng, Hongli & Hennessy, David A., 2023. "Will adoption occur if a practice is win-win for profit and the environment? An application to a rancher's grazing practice choices," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
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    5. Bilal, Muhammad & Barkmann, Jan & Jaghdani, Tinoush Jamali, 2017. "To analyse the suitability of a set of soical and economic indicators that assesses the impact on SI enhancing advanced technological inputs by farming households in Punjab Pakistan," DARE Discussion Papers 1708, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (DARE).
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    8. Mugula, Joseph J & Ahmad, Athman Kyaruzi & Msinde, John & Kadigi, Michael, 2023. "Determinants of Adoption of Bundled Sustainable Agriculture Practices among Small-Scale Maize Farmers in Mvomero and Kilosa Districts, Tanzania," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 11(4), September.
    9. Ayat Ullah & Shahab E. Saqib & Harald Kächele, 2022. "Determinants of Farmers’ Awareness and Adoption of Extension Recommended Wheat Varieties in the Rainfed Areas of Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-18, March.
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    12. Demeke, Leykun, 2024. "The Contribution of Livelihood Diversification Activities to Poverty Mitigation in Dodota Woreda, Arsi Zone, Central Ethiopia," MPRA Paper 121103, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2024.
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    16. Vivian Polar & Jaqueline A. Ashby & Graham Thiele & Hale Tufan, 2021. "When Is Choice Empowering? Examining Gender Differences in Varietal Adoption through Case Studies from Sub-Saharan Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-19, March.
    17. Jourdain C. Lokossou & Hippolyte D. Affognon & Alphonse Singbo & Michel B. Vabi & Ayoni Ogunbayo & Paul Tanzubil & Alcade C. Segnon & Geoffrey Muricho & Haile Desmae & Hakeem Ajeigbe, 2022. "Welfare impacts of improved groundnut varieties adoption and food security implications in the semi-arid areas of West Africa," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(3), pages 709-728, June.
    18. Martey, Edward & Etwire, Prince M. & Adombilla, Ramson & Abebrese, Samuel O., 2023. "Information constraint and farmers’ willingness to pay for an irrigation scheduling tool," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    19. Zahra Saidi Majili & Cornelio Nyaruhucha & Kissa Kulwa & Khamaldin Mutabazi & Constance Rybak & Stefan Sieber, 2020. "Preferences and Consumption of Pigeon Peas among Rural Households as Determinants for Developing Diversified Products for Sustainable Health," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-15, July.
    20. Yari Vecchio & Giulio Paolo Agnusdei & Pier Paolo Miglietta & Fabian Capitanio, 2020. "Adoption of Precision Farming Tools: The Case of Italian Farmers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-16, January.
    21. Matita, Mirriam & Chiwaula, Levison & Wadonda Chirwa, Ephraim & Mazalale, Jacob & Walls, Helen, 2022. "Subsidizing improved legume seeds for increased household dietary diversity: Evidence from Malawi’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme with implications for addressing malnutrition in all its forms," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    22. Sadick Mohammed & Awudu Abdulai, 2022. "Heterogeneity in returns to agricultural technologies with incomplete diffusion: Evidence from Ghana," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 323-353, February.
    23. Franklin Simtowe & Paswel Marenya & Emily Amondo & Mosisa Worku & Dil Bahadur Rahut & Olaf Erenstein, 2019. "Heterogeneous seed access and information exposure: implications for the adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties in Uganda," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 7(1), pages 1-23, December.
    24. Masithembe Sigigaba & Lelethu Mdoda & Asanda Mditshwa, 2021. "Adoption Drivers of Improved Open-Pollinated (OPVs) Maize Varieties by Smallholder Farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-18, December.

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