Factors Affecting Adoption of Improved Maize Varieties in Western Hills of Nepal – A Tobit Model Analysis
Lamichhane, J. Sharma, T. Gairhe. S. and Adhikari, S. P
ABSTRACT
Maize is the most important cereal crop of hills of Nepal which is used as food for consumption and fodder for animals. A survey was carried out in Baglung and Palpa districts of western hills of Nepal to find out the determining factors of the adoption of improved maize varieties. The number of households sampled from each of the district was 90. Semi structured questionnaire was administered to 180 households chosen using simple random sampling. The most popular improved varieties in the study sites were Manakamana-6, Rampur composite and Arun-2. There seems to be a gap between the recommended practice and current level of practice at the farmers’ level in some of the factors like nitrogenous, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, method of planting. The factors affecting the adoption of improved maize varieties were measured using the Tobit Regression model. Eight socioeconomic variables were taken into consideration for the study. The major socioeconomic variables taken in the study were age, gender, educational status, membership of the farmers’ group, extension contact, family size, farm size, farming experience and access to credit. Educational status, extension contact, farm size and access to credit were found statistically significant. Each unit increase in these variables, increases the intensity of adoption of improved maize varieties by 7.14, 12.47, 1.9, 5.2 and 1.6 percentage respectively. Policy that enhances farmers’ access to credit, well equipped extension workers, education will facilitate adoption through increased access to seeds of improved maize varieties and will enhance the intensity and rate of adoption.
KEYWORDS: Adoption, Maize, Tobit