TITLE:
Determinants of Smallholder Farmers Adoption of Acacia decurrens in Northwest Ethiopia
AUTHORS:
Amelework Biresaw, Mengistu Ketema, Tesfaye Lemma, Chanyalew Seyoum
KEYWORDS:
Adoption Intensity, Acacia decurrens Tree, Two-Limit Tobit, Northwest Ethiopia
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.14 No.9,
September
6,
2023
ABSTRACT: Planting a fast-growing multipurpose Acacia decurrens (AD) tree is one of the climate-smart agricultural practices that have been promoted in Ethiopia, which is widely practiced and an important livelihood strategy in Awi zone. However, the extent of its adoption varies considerably among households in the study area. This study investigated the determinants of intensity of adoption of AD among 385 randomly selected rural households in Awi Zone. Data were gathered using a cross-sectional household survey. Descriptive statistics and Two-limit Tobit model were employed for data analysis. The result of the study shows that on average the intensity of adoption of AD was 0.43 (43% of the total cropland area), though majority of the farmers (48.8%) belong to low level of adoption. The result of the analysis shows that being male, educational level, access to seedling, experience in growing the tree, extension contact has positive and significant relationship with the intensity of adoption. Age of head of household, land holding size, livestock holding size, soil fertility status, disease emergence and road distance have negative and significant influence on intensity of adoption. These suggest that expanding road infrastructure, education, access to seedling, secure land property right, disease management, and provision of extension services related to the AD can also improve smallholder farmers’ intensity of AD adoption. The generated information provides a picture of the study area’s situation to the attention of policy makers, development practitioners and institutional service providers to formulate a better policy intervention to sustain smallholder farmers’ AD plantation.