ADOPTION AND DISADOPTION OF IMPROVED RICE VARIETIES AMONG FARMERS IN THE NORTHERN REGION, GHANA

Abstract

Rice Farmers in Ghana have benefited from the dissemination programmes of high-yielding crop varieties in addition to other complementary technologies to enhance productivity, food security and welfare of farmers, among others. Despite the expected gains from the numerous interventions, there are low levels of adoption and high levels of disadoption of rice varieties among many farmers in Ghana. The main objective of this study was to investigate the factors that influenced adoption and disadoption of improved rice varieties among farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study used both qualitative and quantitative data. The data was primarily collected from 404 rice farmers using multi-stage sampling procedure. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, narratives, and estimation of a generalized multivariate regression, and propensity score matching models. The empirical results show that fellow farmers, researchers and extension agents as well as certified seeds and input dealers were the commonest channels of innovation communication among the rice farmers. Farm and home visits, technology demonstration farms, and radio broadcasts were the main innovation dissemination methods used to educate farmers. Generally, there were lower levels of improved rice variety adoption in the study area, with the most adopted varieties being Agra (77.33%), Sakai (50%), Jasmine (40.64%) and Afife (23.17%) in that order. The disadoption levels were much higher for improved rice varieties such as GR-18 (94.23%), Nerica (94.18), Digang (87.72%), Tox (87.18%), Mandee (81.82%) and Faro-15 (80.90%), also in that order. The main reasons for the disadoption of improved rice varieties in the study area were the high input requirements for some of the varieties, lack of ready market for the produce, and unfavourable climatic conditions. The estimation results of the generalized multivariate regression revealed that factors that influenced initial adoption and current adoption of improved rice varietieties positively, also influenced their disadoption negatively, and vice versa. Such factors include farmers’ age, family labour, and membership of Farmer Based Organizations (FBO), extension, input market, farm size, telephone, field demonstrations, and temperature. In all, FBO membership was the single most important factor that significantly affected the initial adoption, current adoption and disadoption decisions of all the rice varieties modelled, either negatively or positively. Adoption also had a positive impact on farmers’ rice output, implying that maximum output could be achieved if efforts are made to increase adoption rates of improved rice varieties among the farmers. The study recommends that the extension directorate of Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) should target younger farmers, through a combination of individual, group and mass media methods, as the surest way of educating farmers. For continuous adoption of improved rice varieties and sustainability of agricultural innovations, the government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and FBOs in the rice value chain must ensure that improved rice varieties disseminated have low input requirements, ready markets and less susceptibility to the prevailing climatic conditions, pests and diseases of the study area. The government could also promote the adoption of newly improved rice varieties such as Agra, Jasmine and Nerica through its flagship programmes including Feed the Future initiative, Planting for Food and Jobs, the National Food Buffer Stock Company and School Feeding Programme. Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) and Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) should also step up their efforts at developing and disseminating new improved rice varieties to overcome the challeneges of climate change, pests and diseases infestations. Finally, MoFA could subsidice mobile phones for farmers to enable them have easy access to AEAs, weather information as well as information about government’s policies and programmes.