Determinants of paddy farmers’ participation in innovation process in Mvomero District, Morogoro, Tanzania
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Date
2020-05-28
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
EAJSSH
Abstract
Farmers’ participation in rice innovations is an important platform for economic growth. However, information on the
farmers’ participation level in the rice innovation process in Tanzania is inadequate. Using a cross-sectional research design the study
was conducted in Mvomero District, Morogoro, Tanzania to establish levels of farmers’ participation in the rice innovation process. The
study involved 299 randomly selected farmers from different plots of each scheme who participated in the innovation process. Data
related to farmers’ participation and their socio-economic characteristics were collected from paddy farmers using structured
questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the IBM-SPSS program and STATA/SE software. The participation index was developed to
measure participation levels and an ordinal probit regression model was used to determine factors influencing farmers’ participation in
the innovation process. Findings show that the overall level of farmers’ participation by using a five-form participation typology was
61.9% which denoted a medium level. Ordinal probit regression results revealed that there were significant differences between the
household size, farming experience, farm size, marital status, land ownership, extension advisory and farmer participation in the
innovation process. It is concluded that the participation of farmers in the innovation process was medium meaning that farmers
decision making in the inception and adoption of innovations was low. Also it is concluded that farmer participation in Mvomero
District is determined by farm size, household size, farmer experience, marital status, land ownership and extension advisory. Extension
workers should educate farmers on the benefits of the adoption of introduced innovations to advance farmers’ participation in the
innovation process. District land-use planners with collaboration to Dakawa and Mkindo village leadership are advised to monitor
irrigation infrastructures to allow usability of marginal land proximity to irrigation schemes for farmers to expand their farm sizes since
land is a key factor of paddy production.
Description
The East African Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, pp. 78-85
Keywords
Innovation, Adoption, Participation, Experimentation, Stakeholders.