Constraints on Agricultural Innovation Adoption

Abstract

Prototypes of Green Revolution varieties of rice have diffused widely but unevenly in major rice-producing regions of Guyana since imported strains were first introduced in the late 1960s as part of Guyana's rice modernization program. This paper examined the relative importance of the socioeconomic characteristics of rice farmers and access to information vis-a-vis structural and institutional factors on the adoption of new high-yielding varieties of rice. Analysis of farm level data revealed that the latter set of factors provided a more satisfactory explanation of adoption pattern. Four principal but inter-related factors were of particular importance: frequency of crop failures (quality of water control), amount of purchased inputs, access to machinery, and access to drainage and irrigation canals. Where physical infrastructure was selectively mandated by government there appeared to be a clear relationship between risk levels and adoption. High-yielding hybrids were perceived as the best investment in irrigated areas where risk levels were minimized by a more effective system of drainage and irrigation.