ADOPTION OF IMPROVED POTATO VARIETIES BY SMALLHOLDER FARMERS: THE CASE OF CHILGA WOREDA, NORTH GONDER ZONE, AMHARA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Potato is one of most important food crops in the world in general and Ethiopia in particular. However, low productivity of potato is one of the major constraints in potato production in Ethiopia. Encouraging adoption and wider diffusion of potato technologies are important policy measure to address the problem. However, adoption and intensity of adoption of improved potato varieties are constrained by many factors. Hence, in this study an effort was made to evaluate adoption decision and intensity of use of improved potato seed varieties. A two stage random sampling technique was used to select 160 sample potato producers from Chilga woreda. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze characteristics of adopters and non-adopters. Double hurdle model was used to identify factors affecting adoption decision and intensity of adoption of improved potato varieties. Adoption status and intensity of improved potato varieties was found to be 53% and 63.8% respectively. The result of the model indicated that educational status of the household head, land holding size, participation in off/non-farm activities, livestock holding size, frequency of extension contact, membership to institution/ organization and perception on yield capacity significantly and positively influenced adoption decision of improved potato varieties. On the other hand labor availability, land holding size and livestock holding size significantly and positively influenced intensity of improved potato varieties. Whereas, age of the household head and distance to the nearest market significantly and negatively affected intensity of adoption of improved potato varieties. The study suggested government and stakeholders to focus on arranging short term training program, strengthening the provision of formal education, encouraging the use of labor saving technologies, improving crop-livestock production system, encouraging farmers participation in off/non-farm income generating activities, enhancing frequency of extension contact, strengthening farmers’ organization, providing good transport facilities for farmers through infrastructural development.