IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/cmpart/198516.html

A Logit Estimation of Factors Determining Adoption of Conservation Farming by Smallholder Farmers in the Semi-Arid Areas of Zimbabwe

Author

Listed:
  • Mudiwa, Benjamin

Abstract

Despite heavy investment made by various organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa, to promote conservation farming, the adoption of this technology remained low. Therefore, this study was carried out to estimate the factors determining the adoption of conservation farming by smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe. The study was guided by theory of adoption. The data used in the study was collected from a survey done by ICRISAT between March and April 2010. The survey covered 416 smallholder farmers randomly selected from 15 districts where different nongovernmental organizations had promoted conservation farming from 2006 to 2010. The logit model and the maximum likelihood estimation procedures were used to analyze the data. Results from the study showed that CF was adopted by 77.4% of the participating households. Further, farming experience, access to output market, experience with conservation farming and asset ownership were found to significantly influence the adoption of conservation farming. Farming experience had adverse effects on CF adoption while access to output market and asset ownership had positive influence on the rate of adoption of conservation farming. Their elasticities were 0.956, 0.819, 1.570 and 1.326 respectively. Gender, age, education level, extension visits, family labor availability and access to input markets had no statistical significance on CF adoption. Given these results, the study recommends policy support in the creation of output markets, strengthening of existing markets, and linking farmers to output markets. In addition, promoters of conservation farming may consider targeting inexperienced farmers to practice conservation farming. This will lead to an increase in the rate of adoption of conservation farming holding everything else equal.

Suggested Citation

  • Mudiwa, Benjamin, 2011. "A Logit Estimation of Factors Determining Adoption of Conservation Farming by Smallholder Farmers in the Semi-Arid Areas of Zimbabwe," Research Theses 198516, Collaborative Masters Program in Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:cmpart:198516
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.198516
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/198516/files/Final%20MSc%20Thesis_Benjamin%20Mudiwa.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.198516?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jackson, Matthew O. & Watts, Alison, 2002. "The Evolution of Social and Economic Networks," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 106(2), pages 265-295, October.
    2. Foster, Andrew D & Rosenzweig, Mark R, 1995. "Learning by Doing and Learning from Others: Human Capital and Technical Change in Agriculture," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 103(6), pages 1176-1209, December.
    3. Andrew D. Foster & Mark R. Rosenzweig, 2010. "Microeconomics of Technology Adoption," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 2(1), pages 395-424, September.
    4. John K. Wald, 1999. "How Firm Characteristics Affect Capital Structure: An International Comparison," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 22(2), pages 161-187, June.
    5. Wald, John K, 1999. "How Firm Characteristics Affect Capital Structure: An International Comparison," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 22(2), pages 161-187, Summer.
    6. Mittal, Surabhi & Kumar, Praduman, 2000. "Literacy, Technology Adoption, Factor Demand and Productivity: An Econometric Analysis," Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, vol. 55(3), September.
    7. Pau, L-F. & Motiwalla, J., 2007. "India: a Case of Fragile Wireless Service and Technology Adoption?," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2007-011-LIS, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    8. Hayami, Yujiro & Ruttan, Vernon W, 1970. "Agricultural Productivity Differences Among Countries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 60(5), pages 895-911, December.
    9. Wilfred Nyangena, 2008. "Social determinants of soil and water conservation in rural Kenya," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 10(6), pages 745-767, December.
    10. Doss, Cheryl R., 2003. "Understanding Farm-Level Technology Adoption: Lessons Learned From Cimmyt'S Micro Surveys In Eastern Africa," Economics Working Papers 46552, CIMMYT: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.
    11. Doss, Cheryl R. & Morris, Michael L., 2001. "How does gender affect the adoption of agricultural innovations?: The case of improved maize technology in Ghana," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 27-39, June.
    12. Joel L. Horowitz & N. E. Savin, 2001. "Binary Response Models: Logits, Probits and Semiparametrics," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 15(4), pages 43-56, Fall.
    13. Haggblade, Steven & Tembo, Gelson, 2003. "Conservation farming in Zambia:," EPTD discussion papers 108, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    14. Feder, Gershon & Just, Richard E & Zilberman, David, 1985. "Adoption of Agricultural Innovations in Developing Countries: A Survey," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 33(2), pages 255-298, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Juma, Maurice & Nyangena, Wilfred & Yesuf, Mahmud, 2090. "Production Risk and Farm Technology Adoption in Rain-Fed, Semi-Arid Lands of Kenya," RFF Working Paper Series dp-09-22-efd, Resources for the Future.
    2. Ogada, Maurice Juma & Nyangena, Wilfred & Yesuf, Mahmud, 2010. "Production risk and farm technology adoption in the rain-fed semi-arid lands of Kenya," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 4(2), pages 1-16, June.
    3. Mekonnen, Daniel Ayalew & Gerber, Nicolas & Matz, Julia Anna, 2018. "Gendered Social Networks, Agricultural Innovations, and Farm Productivity in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 321-335.
    4. Vaiknoras, Kate A. & Larochelle, Catherine & Birol, Ekin & Asare-Marfo, Dorene & Herrington, Caitlin, "undated". "The Roles of Formal and Informal Delivery Approaches in Achieving Fast and Sustained Adoption of Biofortified Crops: Learnings from the Iron Bean Delivery Approaches in Rwanda," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258288, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Terrance Hurley & Jawoo Koo & Kindie Tesfaye, 2018. "Weather risk: how does it change the yield benefits of nitrogen fertilizer and improved maize varieties in sub‐Saharan Africa?," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(6), pages 711-723, November.
    6. Khushbu Mishra & Abdoul G. Sam & Gracious M. Diiro & Mario J. Miranda, 2020. "Gender and the dynamics of technology adoption: Empirical evidence from a household‐level panel data," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(6), pages 857-870, November.
    7. Fisher, Monica & Kandiwa, Vongai, 2014. "Can agricultural input subsidies reduce the gender gap in modern maize adoption? Evidence from Malawi," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 101-111.
    8. Arslan, Cansın & Wollni, Meike & Oduol, Judith & Hughes, Karl, 2022. "Who communicates the information matters for technology adoption," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    9. Hailu, Berihun Kassa & Abrha, Bihon Kassa & Weldegiorgis, Kibrom Aregawi, 2014. "Adoption and Impact of Agricultural Technologies on Farm Income: Evidence from Southern Tigray, Northern Ethiopia," International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics (IJFAEC), Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Department of Economics and Finance, vol. 2(4), pages 1-16, October.
    10. Kenneth, Akankwasa & Gerald, Ortmann & Edilegnaw, Wale & Wilberforce, Tushemereirwe, "undated". "Ex-Ante Adoption of New Cooking Banana (Matooke) Hybrids in Uganda Based on Farmers' Perceptions," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 123302, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Theriault, Veronique & Smale, Melinda & Haider, Hamza, 2016. "Gender Differences in the Adoption of Cereal Intensification Strategy Sets in Burkina Faso," Food Security International Development Working Papers 245896, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    12. Raju Ghimire & Wen-Chi Huang, 2015. "Household wealth and adoption of improved maize varieties in Nepal: a double-hurdle approach," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 7(6), pages 1321-1335, December.
    13. Jia, Xiangping, 2009. "Synergistic Green and White Revolution: Evidence from Kenya and Uganda," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51367, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    14. Mekonnen Daniel Ayalew & Gerber Nicolas & Matz Julia Anna, 2016. "Working Paper 235 - Social Networks, Agricultural Innovations, and Farm Productivity in Ethiopia," Working Paper Series 2330, African Development Bank.
    15. repec:ags:aaea22:335541 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Tavneet Suri, 2006. "Selection and Comparative Advantage in Technology Adoption," Working Papers 944, Economic Growth Center, Yale University.
    17. César Salazar & John Rand, 2016. "Production risk and adoption of irrigation technology: evidence from small-scale farmers in Chile," Latin American Economic Review, Springer;Centro de Investigaciòn y Docencia Económica (CIDE), vol. 25(1), pages 1-37, December.
    18. Sommarat Chantarat & Christopher Barrett, 2012. "Social network capital, economic mobility and poverty traps," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 10(3), pages 299-342, September.
    19. Faruque-As-Sunny & Zuhui Huang & Taonarufaro Tinaye Pemberai Karimanzira, 2018. "Investigating Key Factors Influencing Farming Decisions Based on Soil Testing and Fertilizer Recommendation Facilities (STFRF)—A Case Study on Rural Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-24, November.
    20. Ogada, Maurice Juma & Nyangena, Wilfred & Yesuf, Mahmud, 2010. "Production risk and farm technology adoption in the rain-fed semi-arid lands of Kenya," Journal of Cooperatives, NCERA-210, vol. 4(2), June.
    21. Lim, Krisha & Wichmann, Bruno & Luckert, Martin, 2021. "Adaptation, spatial effects, and targeting: Evidence from Africa and Asia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:cmpart:198516. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.agriculturaleconomics.net .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.