Farmers’ choices for sustainable intensification technologies in Kilosa district, Tanzania
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Date
2017
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Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess farmers' choices to the adoption of sustainable
agriculture practices (SAPs). It specifically aimed at determining the level of adoption
profit margin between SAPs adopters and non-adopters and the influence of socio-
economic and institution factors to the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices.
A cross-sectional research design was used involving 550 smallholders maize fanners.
The secondary data collected was used to undertake and enrich the study. Descriptive
statistics was used to examine the adoption rale of SAPs among smallholders' farmers in
Kilosa District. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the socio-
economic and institutional factors affecting the decision of a farmer to adopt SAPs.
Findings indicated that there was a low rate of sustainable agriculture practices adoption
(27%) among smallholders farmers in Kilosa district despite the available policies to
encourage the use of SAPs. Moreover, profit margin indicated that there was a significant
difference between the adopters and non-adopters of SAPs with respect to maize
production regarding the mean yield and revenue obtained from the field Education, level
of income of farmers, farm size, family size, and extension service were socio-economic
and institutional factors that significantly (p<0.05) affected farmers' choice to adopt
SAPs. Generally, findings from the study suggested that policy makers at Kilosa District
should address the factors that significantly influence the adoption of SAPs and to
encourage the delivery of extension services by private agents. This might increase the
adoption rate of SAPs among reluctant smallholder farmers for the consistent
dissemination of S/\Ps as a way forward towards the sustainable improvement of food
security and livelihoods of agriculture stakeholders.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Smallholders maize farmers, Sustainable agriculture practices