EFFECT OF FARMERS’ ADOPTION OF SOYBEAN INOCULANTS ON OUTPUT IN THE EAST GONJA DISTRICT IN THE NORTHERN REGION, GHANA

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to identify the factors that influence adoption of soybean inoculant and its effect on productivity of farmers in the East Gonja District. The study adopted a multi-stage sampling approach, with the first stage involved random sampling of 10 communities in the district. In the second-stage, stratified random sampling techniques were employed in which soybean farmers in the selected communities were stratified into adopters and non-adopter. Finally, simple random sampling technique was then employed to sample 150 adopters and 150 non-adopters. In total, 300 respondents were sampled for the study. Through personal interviews, key informant interviews and observations, data were collected from the sampled 300 farmers and three extension field officers. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in analysing the data gathered. Tobit and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models were used to understand adoption and its performance. The finding shows that farmers’ age and sex, are significant and negatively related to adoption, while household size and perceptions of inoculant with regards to cost, environmental friendliness are significant positively related to adoption. The studies also revealed that rhizobium inoculant use and weedicide use were significant determinants of soybean productive among soybean farmers in the East Gonja District of Northern Region. Poor accessibility and problem of storage of inoculants as well as complexity of soybean inoculant use were the constraints farmers faced in the use of soybean inoculant. The study recommends that ministry of food and agriculture and other stakeholders in the soybean industry should ensure that rhizobium inoculant would be made readily available to Agro inputs dealers’ shops for easy accessibility by farmers.