Adoption of improved soyabean varieties: the case of Buno Bedele and East Wollega zones of Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Achieving national food security and diversifying export earnings from agricultural products is one of the major challenges currently facing developing countries like Ethiopia. Pulse crops in general and soya bean in particular play great role in improving households’ food security, increasing income for smallholder farmers. Despite the high production potential and the economic importance of the crop, adoption and dissemination of improved soya bean varieties is constrained by various factors. To this end, this study aimed at identifying determinants of adoption of improved soya bean varieties in Chewaka and Gobusayo districts, Buno Bedele and East Wollega zones of Oromia Region, Ethiopia with the specific objectives of identifying factors affecting adoption and intensity of adoption of improved soya bean varieties. The study was based on cross sectional data collected from 146 randomly selected soya bean producing farmers. Descriptive and econometric analyses were used to analyze data. The results show that about 32.88% and 67.12% were adopters and non-adopters of the crop respectively. Double hurdle model results showed that sex of household, age, education level, farm experience and training affected the probability of adoption of improved soya bean varieties positively and significantly while distance to nearest market affects it negatively and significantly. Age, farm experience, training and livestock holding affected the intensity adoption of improved soya bean varieties positively and significantly. This study suggests that the high importance of institutional and government support in the areas of education, extension service, training, infrastructural development (especially roads) and credit. Therefore, policy and development interventions should give emphasis to the improvement of such institutional support system and decrease gender disparities in access to such institutions so as to achieve the adoption practice which increases production and productivity of small scale farmers.