Determinants Of Adoption Of Improved Soybean Varieties: The Case Of Chewaka And Gobusayo Districts, Buno Bedele And East Wollega Zones Of Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Achieving national food security and diversifying export earnings from agricultural products is one of the major challenges currently facing developing countries like Ethiopia. Oil crops in general and soybean in particular play a great role in improving households’ food security, increasing income for smallholder farmers and export earnings for the country. Despite the high production potential and the economic importance of the crop, adoption and dissemination of improved soybean varieties is constrained by various factors. To this end, this study aimed at analyzing the determinants of adoption of improved soybean varieties in Chewaka and Gobusayo districts, East Wollega and Buno Bedele zones of Oromia region, Ethiopia with the specific objectives of identifying factors affecting adoption and intensity of adoption of improved soybean varieties and to assess the profitability of improved soybean varieties adopted in the study areas. The study was based on cross sectional data collected from 146 (94 from Chewaka and 52 from Gobusayo districts) randomly selected soybean producing farmers. Descriptive and econometric analyses were used to analyze data. The results show that about 32.88% (48) and 67.12% (98) were adopters and non-adopters of the crop respectively. Econometric results showed that education level, farm experience, training and credit affect the probability of adoption of improved soybean varieties positively and significantly while age and distance to nearest market affects it negatively and significantly. Sex, frequency of extension contact, training and livestock holding affects the intensity adoption of improved varieties positively and significantly. The result of cost benefit analysis showed that adopters of improved soybean varieties had net farm income of 1048.02birr. Benefit cost ratio of 1.83 indicates producers expect 1.83 birr in benefit for each 1 birr of their cost. This study suggests that the high importance of institutional and government support in the areas of education, extension service, training, infrastructural development (especially roads) and credit. Therefore, policy and development interventions should give emphasis to the improvement of such institutional support system and decrease gender disparities in access to such institutions so as to achieve the adoption practice which increases production and productivity of small scale farmers.