Adoption Of Agricultural Innovations A Case Study Of Maize Narrow-Crib In Southern Benin

ABSTRACT An important aspect of agricultural development involves, the adoption of innovations by farmers. Several activities were put in place by extension services in Benin to get wide spread adoption of innovations by farmers. One of these actions was the introduction of maize narrow-crib in rural areas in Benin ; but still some farmers are not adopting. After four years of the introduction of this maize narrow-crib, it is important to appreciate the factors that are affecting the adoption of this storage device. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the factors which are related to the adoption of the maize narrow-cribinnovation.The findings from the reseach will contribute to how to enhance adoption of the maize narrow-crib technology in Benin. In total, J 6 0 maize farmers were selected at random in 16 villages where the crib was introduced. A pretested structured questionnaire was administrated by trained enumerators. The data was analysed using the Chi-square test, the relative frequencies, the Probit and the Logit models. The result of analysis indicated that study sample was composed of mainly men (87%). Eventhough, in certain regions some women cultivate more maize than men. Most of the farmers were about 31 to 40 years old. The Chi-square test shows that the following variables significantly influence the adoption decision behaviour of the farmers : the household head age, the region (culture and the availability of sustanable bulding materials for the maize narrow-crib construction in the region), the trialability of the innovation, the language spoken by the farmers and the extension officer, the household size, the leadership status of the household head, the innovation cost, the extension contact with the farmer, the need identification and the farmers' perception about the necessity to build a maize narrow-crib. The Logit test shows that the region, the household size, the leadership status, the source of information, the extension contact, the need identification and the necessity to build a maize narrow-crib significantly influence farmers' behaviour with regard to maize narrow-crib adoption. The number of agricultural active members of the household, the type of education the household head has and his experience in farming since he became a decision maker on his own field, his wealth, his cosmopolitness, the availability of subsidy, the trailability of the innovation and the construction difficulties were not found to influence farmer' decision making behaviour with regard to the adoption of maize narrow-crib.