Determinants of Improved Wheat Varieties Adoption and Intensity of Adoption by Smallholder Farmers in Ameya District, South West Shoa Zone, Ethiopia

The study attempted to determine the reason of low adoption and intensity of use improved wheat varieties and to determine factors affecting improved wheat varieties adoption and intensity of use by small holder farmers in Ameya District, South West Shoa Zone, Ethiopia’. A multistage random sampling technique was employed to select 377 sample households from Ameya district. This study used cross-sectional data collected in 2021/22 production season from sample households. Descriptive statistical tools like mean, standard deviation, and percentage, were used to summarize the characteristics of the sampled households. Double hurdle model was used to identify factors determining the adoption decision and intensity of adoption of improved wheat varieties by small holder farmers. The result of double-hurdle model shows that in the first hurdle education level, family size of household, farm holding of household, livestock holding, membership of agricultural cooperatives, participating in trainings and non/off farm income were positive and statistically significant factors determining the households’ decision to adopt while age of the household head was negative and statistically significant factor determining the households’ decision to adopt improved wheat varieties. Similarly, in the second hurdle education level, family size of household, farm holding of household, livestock holding, access to credit service, membership of agricultural cooperatives and participating in training were positive and statistically significant factor determining the intensity of use of households decision and age of the household head was negative and statistically significant factor determining the intensity of adopting improved wheat varieties. Therefore, this result implies that strengthening older farmers awareness to technology, improving land fertility status, improving farmers’ level of education, strengthening farmer’s agricultural cooperative organization, improving crop-livestock production system, strengthening farmers participating in training and improving participation in off/non-farm income are areas that need policy attentions to enhance adoption and intensity of adopting improved wheat varieties