Why farmers adopt or reject agricultural technologies? (A case of improved maize and wheat varieties in the ex-local target area of Pakhribas Agricultural Centre at Dhankuta district of eastern Nepal).
Sherpa, N. G. L., Ojha, P. R. and Sharma, A. R.
PAC Technical Paper - Pakhribas Agricultural Centre Year: 1997 Issue: No. 177 Pages: 20 pp. Ref: 4 ref.
1997
บทคัดย่อ
This paper presents a report of a field study into adoption of agricultural innovations carried out at Sanne and Hattikharta Village Development Committees of Dhankuta district of eastern Nepal. A total of 120 households, comprising 30 households each for adoption and rejection of wheat and maize varieties, were sampled. The socioeconomic characteristics of the adopters and rejectors are assessed together with the reasons for household choice. Of the variables used in the analysis, ethnicity, family size, education of household heads, and food availability were found to have a significant effect on adoption of improved wheat varieties but none of these are significant with regard to maize. Satisfactory yield was the major factor for adopting both maize and wheat varieties, whilst the quality and multi-purpose use of the product were also important. Males were found to be more concerned with yield and females with product use. Storage losses due to the weevil damage and the yellow colour of the g
rain were the major reasons for the rejection of improved maize varieties, whereas the wheat varieties were rejected primarily due to unavailability and expense of fertilizers, irrigation problems and lack of labour force. Recommendations include: (1) more emphasis on gender; (2) developing white, weevil-resistant maize; (3) researching high altitude varieties; (4) researching perceptions of food-deficit households; (5) emphasizing low external input technologies.