Rice Genomics and Genetics 2015, Vol.6, No.7, 1-10
1
In the study area rice was mainly grown in lowland
and upland areas. Distribution of rice farmers by
ecology cultivated to rice in the study area revealed
that 55.0% of the rice farmers carried out their
activities in the lowland area, 17.5% in the upland
area while 27.5% carried out their activities in both
upland and lowland areas. Distribution of rice
farmers by ecology cultivated to rice between
adopters and non-adopters shows statistical difference
at 5% for those who cultivated on upland only and
lowland only. Table 2 further shows that 95.3% of
the rice farmers surveyed have knowledge of the
improved rice varieties grown in the study area
while 4.7% had no knowledge of the improved rice
varieties. About 87.3% of those aware of the
improved rice varieties adopted at least one of the
improved rice varieties at the time of visit while
8.1% of those aware do not adopt, this disaggregation
was statistically significant at 1%.
The result also revealed that on the overall
population, 87.3% of the rice farmers surveyed had
planted at least one of the improved rice varieties
grown in the study area while 12.8% has not planted
any of the improved rice varieties on their rice plots.
1.3 Determinants of awareness of improved rice
varieties
To estimate factors that affect the propensity of
exposure to improved rice varieties a probit regression
was used. Table 3 depicts results from a probit
estimation of the determinants of getting exposed to
at least one improved rice varieties. The log
likelihood of -21.74 and LRChi2 of 13.0 significant
at 1% level show that the model is fitted. The
coefficient for access to media was positive and
statistically significant at 5%. The marginal effect
was 0.108. This implies that a unit increase in
farmer’s access to media will increase the probability of
being aware of improved rice varieties by 0.108.
Although, years of formal education does not
influence awareness significantly however, its
influence was positive. Farmers with more years of
education are more likely to get expose or acquire
information about agricultural technologies.
Membership to association was also positive but not
significant, implying that farmers in social group
tend to be more aware of agricultural technologies as
they share ideas among members of the group.
Having agriculture as main occupation shows positive
though does not significantly influence awareness.
1.4 Determinants of adoption and intensity of
improved rice varieties
This study adopted the Heckman two-stage model to
assess the socio-economic/demographic characteristics
that influence the farmers’ adoption and intensity of
adoption of improved rice varieties. The first stage
examined the determinants of probability of adoption
Table 2 Description of rice farmers farm characteristics by adoption status
Characteristic
Pooled data (N=149)
Adopters (N=130)
Non-adopters (N=19)
P-value
Farm size (ha)
Less than 2 ha
39.6
34.2
5.4
2-5 ha
49.0
43.0
6.0
0.507
Greater than 5 ha
11.4
10.1
1.34
Types of varieties grown
Traditional
34.3
12.8
21.5
0.000*
NERICA
0.7
0.7
0
0.704
Improved NARS
73.8
73.8
0
0.000*
Other Improved
24.8
24.8
0
0.007*
Ecology
Lowland
55.0
44.8
10.1
0.032**
Upland
17.5
17.5
0
0.025**
Both
27.5
24.8
2.7
0.503
Knowledge of IRVs
Aware
95.3
87.3
8.1
0.000*
Not-aware
4.7
-
4.7
Adoption of IRVs
-
87.3
12.8
Note: Source: AfricaRice baseline field survey, 2013
