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Despite the efforts being made by the government and other stakeholders to promote
improved technologies in avocado production by providing fertilizers, pest controls,
providing external and local markets and training to the small farmers, its yield
remains very low. This study intended to analyze the adoption of improved
technology in avocado production among farmers in Siha District. Specifically, the
study objectives were to: assess farmer’s awareness towards adoption of improved
technologies; to determine factors affecting avocado production among smallholder
farmers and to examine farmer’s perceptions on the effect of adoption of new
technologies in avocado production. The researcher used cross-sectional research
design to collect the data due to limited time. A total of 96 respondents were involved
in this study. The study used both primary and secondary data; Questionnaire,
Interview and observation were used on data collection. A multiple regression model
was employed to determine factors affecting avocado production among
smallholder’s farmer and Descriptive analysis on assessing farmers awareness
toward adoption of improved technologies in avocado production and examine
farmer’s perceptions on the effect of adoption of new technologies. Data were
analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20 and
STATA version 14. The findings indicate that farmers had awareness towards
improved technologies for avocado production. Also most of the farmers have
negative perceptions on the effect of adoption of improved technologies in avocado
production. Factors such as sex, farm size, fertilizer applied, pest control applied,
labor, spacing, and income influenced the level of production. The major challenges
for using adopted technologies on avocado production were unaffordable of fertilizer,
unreliable spacing, and scarcity of land and difficult to control fungal and viral. The
study, therefore, concludes that adoption of improved technologies had reduced
avocado production. The study recommends that the Government under the Ministry
of Agriculture should support training; dissemination improved technologies,
extension officers and smallholder farmers. The farmers should also be motivated in
avocado production through reducing problems hindering production such as pest
control and fertilizer uses. |
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