A logit estimation of factors determining adoption of conservation farming by smallholder farmers in the semi-arid areas of Zimbabwe

Abstract

Despite heavy investment made by various organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa, to promote conservation farming, the adoption of this technology remained low. Therefore, this study was carried out to estimate the factors determining the adoption of conservation farming by smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe. The study was guided by theory of adoption. The data used in the study was collected from a survey done by ICRISAT between March and April 2010. The survey covered 416 smallholder farmers randomly selected from 15 districts where different non-governmental organizations had promoted conservation farming from 2006 to 2010.

The logit model and the maximum likelihood estimation procedures were used to analyze the data. Results from the study showed that CF was adopted by 77.4% of the participating households. Further, farming experience, access to output market, experience with conservation farming and asset ownership were found to significantly influence the adoption of conservation farming. Farming experience had adverse effects on CF adoption while access to output market and asset ownership had positive influence on the rate of adoption of conservation farming. Their elasticities were 0.956, 0.819, 1.570 and 1.326 respectively. Gender, age, education level, extension visits, family labor availability and access to input markets had no statistical significance on CF adoption. Given these results, the study recommends policy support in the creation of output markets, strengthening of existing markets, and linking farmers to output markets. In addition, promoters of conservation farming may consider targeting inexperienced farmers to practice conservation farming. This will lead to an increase in the rate of adoption of conservation farming holding everything else equal.