Adoption Of Innovations In Participatory Agricultural Development And Empowerment Project (Padep) In Tanzania: Case Study Handeni District, Tanga

ABSTRACT

In developing countries like Tanzania, Draught Animal Power (DAP) technology could be appropriate technology which many farmers can afford as a first step from using a hand hoe before stepping forward for using a tractor in agricultural activities. This study intended to determine factors hindering the adoption of draught animal power innovation under Participatory Agricultural Development and Empowerment Project (PADEP) at Handeni district. Five villages were used to get a total of 120 respondents who were then interviewed using an interview schedule. Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS computer programs where descriptive statistics, Likert scale and logit model of regression were used. It was found from this study that farmers had negative perception towards PADEP meanwhile having positive perception towards the use of DAP. It was also found that despite the project involving DAP use, most of farmers, including those who were involved in the project and those who were not involved in the project in the study area were still using a hand hoe. This was contributed in most cases by lack of capital which could be used to run other agricultural technologies having some kind of costs when compared to hand hoe. It was revealed further that there were some factors that statistically influenced positively to the adoption of DAP in the study area. These include household size, average income, costs, extension services and market. Others were a relative advantage, compatibility to the past experience and complexity of the technology. These were statistically found to have p < 0.05 values. Those influenced negatively to the adoption of DAP include age, sex, marital status, farm size, land size owned by the farmer, trialability and observability of the technology. These had p > 0.05 values. From these findings, I recommend that projects on the use of DAP should be established and continued by both government and private institution meanwhile putting emphasis on factors found to influence positively the adoption of DAP technology in the study area.