Adoption of Improved Food Barley Production Technology Package by Smallholder Farmers in Alicho Woriro District, Siltie Zone, Ethiopia
Muluken Melese *
Agricultural Technology Transfer and Communication Researcher, Hawassa Agricultural Research Center, Sidama Agricultural Research Institute, Ethiopia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The adoption and application of improved agricultural technologies by smallholder farmers are influenced by various factors. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the adoption status and intensity of the improved food barley production technology package in Alicho Woriro Woreda, southern Ethiopia. Primary data were collected from 140 sampled smallholder food barley producers selected through simple random sampling and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistical tools were used to analyse the data. The adoption index showed that 28.6%, 38.6%, and 21.4% of respondents were high, medium, and low adopters of the improved food barley production technology package, respectively, while 11.4% of the sampled households were non-adopters. Based on the adoption index, the overall adoption intensity of the package among smallholder farmers was 60%, implying that a substantial proportion of the package had not yet been adopted. Therefore, the study recommended that development interventions by the government, non-governmental organisations, and other concerned stakeholders should emphasise improving institutional support systems, including training through Farmers’ Training Centres and research efforts, to enhance adoption of the package by smallholder farmers.
Keywords: Food barley, improved technology package, smallholder farmers, adoption status, adoption intensity, adoption index, agricultural extension