Determinants of Technology Adoption and Intensity of Adoption among Rice Farming Households in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Purpose: Production and productivity of the agricultural sector in SSA is low due to low technological adoption and techniques among others. One of the major goals of Nigerian agriculture development programs and policies is transition from low productivity subsistence agriculture to a high productivity agro-industrial economy through improved technology adoption. Methodology: A multi-stage sampling technique was used in this study to select 158 rice farming households   The first stage involved the purposive selection of two Agricultural Development programme zones (Ikenne and Abeokuta zones) in the state. The second stage was purposive selection of two blocks per zone based on the concentration of rice farmers. Six farming cells were randomly selected from each block making a total of twenty-four (24) farming community, seven rice farmers were randomly selected from each farming cell giving a sample size of 168 rice farmers. A set of structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Out of the 168-questionnaire administered 158 of it were gotten and used for the study. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, adoption index, tobit regression model. Findings: Technologies adoption was high among the young farmers than the older farmers. The household size was also a determinant factor of technology adoption. As the household increases in size, there is high probability that all the production technologies will be adopted. Access to credit facility was found to be positive and significant in all the production technologies available to the rice farmers. Recommendations: It was recommended that the young people should be encouraged to modern technologies available for rice production, the farmers should be educated on modern technologies in the production of rice. Credit facilities should be made available for the farm household.