Rice Genomics and Genetics 2015, Vol.7, No.1, 1-10
2
economy from a self-sufficient nation to an importing
nation; rice has become a strategic commodity in
Nigerian economy (Akande 2002; Nkang et al.,
2006). Notwithstanding, in recent years, rice production
in Nigeria has been expanding at the rate of 6% per
annum, with 70% of the production increase due
mainly to land expansion and only 30% being
attributed to an increase in productivity (Fagade,
2000; Falusi, 1997; WARDA, 2007; 2008; Okoruwa
et al., 2007). Despite the continued expansion of
land production to increase yield and output, none of
these has materialized to reduce the demand and
supply gaps. Thus, increasing agricultural productivity
and hence production using improved agricultural
technologies is foreseen as the only way by which
this gap can be reduced.
Furthermore, Diagne (2006) and Diagne & Demont
(2007) reveals that awareness of existence of a
technology is a sine qua non for its adoption (i.e.
use), while, in principle, one can start using a new
technology while knowing nothing about its
characteristics or performance. It is this fact (i.e.
that awareness is a prerequisite for adoption) that
makes accounting for awareness fundamental in
adoption studies. It is therefore the contention of this
study to examine the awareness and adoption rate of
these improved rice varieties in the study area. The
contribution is therefore to profile the various
improved rice varieties grown in the study area, and
to determine the factors that would influence
awareness, adoption and intensity of adoption of
improved rice varieties. This study will also provide
information on the current improved rice varieties
cultivated in the study area, the exposure rate of
improved rice varieties, which factors have the
greatest influence on improved rice varieties adoption
and the intensity of adoption. The result is expected
to help researchers make more informed decisions
on how to promote the improved rice varieties
adoption and contribute towards design of appropriate
policies enabling developing the rice sub sector by
the government.
1 Results and Discussion
1.1 Description of rice farmers’ socio-economic
characteristics by adoption status
Table 1 gives the report of descriptive statistics
disaggregated by farmers’ adoption status and
socio-economic characteristics for 149 surveyed rice
farmers. Generally, adopters are defined as farming
households that planted at least one of the improved
rice varieties and specifically, a household is defined
as an adopter of a particular variety if it plants that
variety in at least one of its rice plots. The result
showed that majority (87.9%) of the respondents
were male and forms (76.5%) of the adopters and
(11.4%) of the non-adopters, thereby re-validating
the age long dominance of males in agriculture. This
is one prominent characteristic where most farm
operations are carried out manually and therefore
more demanding in terms of physical strength
especially for labour intensive crops such as rice. In
terms of educational level of the household heads,
(32.2%) of the total respondents had no formal
education. The proportion with no formal education
was not significantly different between the adopters
and non-adopters. The implication of this is that
since majority of the rice farmers had no formal
education it implies non-availability to appreciate
potential for improved managerial capabilities
among them. This can also pose limitations to
technical skills and decision- making prowess.
The result also shows that a larger percentage of the
farmers are within the productive ages of 31~60
years thereby implying availability of strength and
by extension, mental alertness for adoption of
productivity enhancing innovations or technologies
and can also be amenable for adoption of
productivity-enhancing technologies. Average age of
the respondents was 50 years; the mean age of the
adopters (50 years) was not significantly different
from the non-adopters (54 years). On the overall,
majority (86.6%) of the respondents had Agriculture
as major occupation with 76.5% of the adopters
having agriculture as main occupation. The
average household size was 8 persons per household.
This could have positive and negative effect on
adoption status. The positive effect could arise if the
large household size is used as a source of family
labour, thereby reducing the cost of labour and will
also want to adopt improved varieties. However, a
large household size could also worsen the adoption
status of farming household particularly if it is
composed of a large number of dependants, which
means the family will rely on hired labour and this
