FACTORS AFFECTING ADOPTION OF IMPROVED AGRONOMIC PRACTICES AND ITS EFFECT ON INCOME AND NUTRITION: THE CASE OF GROUNDNUT PRODUCING FARMERS IN BABILE DISTRICT, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

This study set out to assess factors affecting adoption of improved agronomic practices and its effect on income and nutrition of groundnut producing farmers in Babile district. The study focused particularly on identifying improved agronomic practices used by groundnut farmers, identifying factors affecting adoption of improved agronomic practices, and investigating the effect of adoption of improved agronomic practices on income and nutrition of farm households. The study employed a three stage random sampling technique to select three major groundnut producing kebeles and 125 households, proportionate to the kebeles population. These are the kebeles where an intervention, aimed at improving agronomic practice of groundnut production and nutrition knowledge farm households, was implemented. This study used primary and secondary data. The primary data were gathered using pilot-tested and validated semi-structure questionnaire. Focus group discussions were also used to gather supplementary information on the research topic. The study employed simple descriptive and inferential statistical analysis, aided by SPSS version 20, was used. An econometric model (ordered logit model), aided by STATA12, estimation of factors affecting adoption of improved agronomic practices was made. The results showed variation in the level of use of improved agronomic practices for groundnut production that majority (56.8%) of the sample farmers adopted the practices, albeit at different level. Most of the farmers used improved groundnut seed variety but seeding and fertilizer application rate was below recommended rate for the area. The result of this study indicated that adopters of improved agronomic practices of groundnut have gained better income and diversified diet (different variety of food groups) compared to the non-adopter counterpart. The result of one-way ANNOVA also revealed a significant difference among adoption categories in terms of households’ incomes and dietary diversity of the sample farm households. The result from econometric model indicated that family size, educational status, access to credit, frequency of contact with development agents, participation in training and demonstration were important variables positively influencing the level of adoption of improved agronomic practices of groundnut. The study concluded farm households’ income and nutrition could be improved from adoption of improved technology. Thus the study suggests the need for improving determining factors underlying adoption of improved groundnut production practices in the design of an intervention.