Determinants of multiple agricultural technology adoption: evidence from rural Amhara region, Ethiopia

Abstract

The adoption of modern agricultural technologies remains to be a promising strategy to improve agricultural productivity, achieve food security and reduce poverty in Ethiopia. Despite the efforts to promote adoption in the country, the adoption rate has always been very low. So, it is essential to understand the determinants to the adoption of modern agricultural technologies. This study investigates the determinants of agricultural technology adoption decisions in the rural Amhara region of Ethiopia. The study is based on an Ethiopian socio-economic survey of 2015/16 and a sample of 656 farm households is considered. The paper uses a multinomial logit model to assess the factors affecting the adoption decision of agricultural technology. The result shows that farmers with more educational level, family size, off-farm participation, livestock, extension service, credit access, advisory service, and farmers closer to plot, all-weather road, zonal town, and farmers with lower remittance income are more likely to adopt new or improved agricultural technology. Accordingly, the study provides crucial policy implications regarding the technology adoption in the agricultural sector for all regions of Ethiopia.

Keywords:

• Agriculture
• technology adoption
• multinomial logit
• poverty
• Ethiopia

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT

In our country Ethiopia, where agriculture is at the heart of the economy, the adoption rate of agricultural technology has always been very low. Thus, this study tried to examine the determinants of multiple agricultural technology adoption so as to raise the productivity of the agricultural sector. The result reveals that educational level, family size, off-farm participation, livestock, extension contact, credit access, advisory service, and farmers closer to plot, all-weather road, zonal town, and farmers with lower remittance income are the determinants of multiple agricultural technology adoption in Amhara Region.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for the supportive comments and suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Adoption refers a farm household who used at least one technology in one of crop fields.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research.

Notes on contributors

Mesele Belay Zegeye

Mesele Belay Zegeye, the author of this article is a lecturer at Debre Berhan University, Department of economics, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia. He earned his MSc degree in Development Economics and BA degree in Economics from Debre Berhan University. His research interest includes Effect, Impact assessment of policies, poverty, food security, technology adoption, and agricultural growth.