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Adoption of Improved Groundnut Varieties in Uganda

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/227/
 
Title Adoption of Improved Groundnut Varieties in Uganda
 
Creator Shiferaw, B
Muricho, G
Okello, J
Kebede, T A
Okecho, G
 
Subject Groundnut
 
Description This paper evaluates the level of adoption of improved groundnut varieties and the role of
information, seed supply and credit constraints for variety adoption in rural Uganda. We use
large-scale primary survey data collected in seven groundnut growing districts to understand
the adoption behavior of farm households and the key determinants of variety uptake. The study
finds that the level of adoption of improved varieties in Uganda is very high; about 59% of the
households grow improved varieties. About 62% of the groundnut area is planted to improved
varieties, indicating a high intensity of adoption. On average, the income per ha from improved
varieties is about 80% higher than local cultivars. Owing to the interdependence of variety
choice decisions, we use a multivariate probit specification to identify variety-specific drivers of
adoption. About 10% of farmers lack information on new varieties, while 18% and 6% cannot
adopt mainly due to seed supply and capital constraints, respectively. This indicates that a tobittype
specification, which considers all non-adopters as disinterested in the technology would
lead to inconsistent parameter estimates and misguided conclusions. We therefore estimate a
modified multi-hurdle specification, which takes into account the information, seed supply and
capital constraints in determining the desired demand and intensity of adoption of new groundnut
varieties. These findings provide new insights as to why adoption of new agricultural technologies
in Africa has lagged behind – not so much due to lack of economic incentives, but due to the
persistent failure to provide vital information along with seeds and required credit to translate the
desired positive demand into effective and actual adoption of new varieties. These are important
lessons that need to be considered as Africa searches for alternative pathways to launch an
effective and sustainable green revolution that will transform smallholder agriculture.

Shiferaw B, Muricho G, Okello J, Kebede T A and Okecho G.
 
Publisher International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
 
Date 2010
 
Type Monograph
NonPeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Rights —
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/227/1/233-2010_Research_Report_No_5.pdf
Shiferaw, B and Muricho, G and Okello, J and Kebede, T A and Okecho, G (2010) Adoption of Improved Groundnut Varieties in Uganda. Monograph. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.