Factors Affecting Adoption of Improved Maize Varieties in Woliso District of Southwest Shewa Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Adoption of improved maize varieties in agricultural production is considered as one of the most promising ways to ensure food security and alleviate poverty in Ethiopia. However, the adoption and dissemination of these varieties were constrained by various factors. Thus, this study was aimed at identifying the factors that influence adoption of improved maize varieties in Woliso woreda of south west shoa zone, Oromia regional state. A primary data collected from eighty-nine (89) maize producing household heads selected using two-stage random sampling technique was used. Both descriptive statistics and econometric model were used to analyze the data. The finding of the study indicated that family size, access to fertilizer, number of oxen owned, Land fertility and Total livestock owned by the farm household were statistically significant in affecting households adoption status. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were forwarded. Policy and development intervention should give emphasis to the improvement of institutional support system by strengthening, providing the required fertilizes, strengthening protection of land fertility, expanding the education to rationalize family size for to achieve adoption of improved maize varieties for increasing the production and productivity of smallholder farmers in Woliso District