Abstract:
The importance of common bean in improving socioeconomic in the community is well
known. There are different improved common bean production technologies introduced by
both government and NGOs in Tanzania such fertilizer application especially DAP during
planting. However, none or low adoption of recommended common bean production
practices like recommended land preparation, seed selection, weed control, fertilizer
application and harvesting method is reported everywhere. Cross sectional research design
was employed in this study whereby 400 respondents (154 males, 125 females and 121
youth men and female) involved in Scaling up of Improved Legume Technologies (SILT)
project and those who were not involved in SILT project were interviewed using
questionnaires and checklist questions as the main tools. Data were analyzed by using
statistical package for social science (SPSS 16.0), where frequency and percentage were
used to determine distribution of the study variables inferential analysis was used to test
how independent variables affect the adoption of improved common bean varieties. Result
from the study shows that accessibility of information through radio, demonstration and
extension agents was relatively high to men than women and youth. This was due to
interventions of SILT project. The study further revealed that farmers in SILT project
were aware on improved common bean technologies like improved seed varieties, storage
and harvesting than those who were not in SILT project. The study concludes that Men
have higher access to information on improved common beans production technologies as
compared to women, boys and girls. Therefore, the study recommends to the extension
workers and NGOs such as SILT that there is a need to address gender inequalities with
regard to ownership and control over resources and information sources at household level
which impacts on adoption of common bean. This can be achieved through using the
strategy of gender mainstreaming in all projects targeting farmers.
