ADOPTION AND IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES ON FARM INCOME: EVIDENCE FROM SOUTHERN TIGRAY, NORTHERN ETHIOPIA

• Main Authors: Berihun Kassa Hailu, Bihon Kassa Abrha, Kibrom Aregawi Weldegiorgis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics 2014-10-01
• Series: International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics
• Subjects: Technology; adoption; Agriculture; Ordinary Least Square; Probit
• Online Access: http://www.foodandagriculturejournal.com/vol2.no4.pp91.pdf

The importance of agricultural technology in enhancing production and productivity can be realized when yield increasing technologies are widely been used and diffused. Standing from this logical ground, this paper aimed at identifying the determinants of agricultural technology adoption decision and examining the impact of adoption on farm income. Cross sectional data was collected through semi-structured questionnaire administered on 270 randomly selected smallholder farmers. Probit and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression models were employed. Consistent with the findings of previous studies, regression results showed that agricultural technology adoption decision of farm households has been determined by irrigation use, land ownership right security, credit access, distance to the nearest market, plot distance from the home stead, off-farm participation and tropical livestock unit. The regression result also revealed that agricultural technology adoption has a positive and significant effect on farm income by which adopters are better-offs than nonadopters.