Improved rice variety adoption and its welfare impact on rural farming households in Akwa Ibom state of Nigeria

摘要

In this study cross-sectional data from 200 rice farmers were used to examine the various factors that influence the adoption of improved rice varieties distributed by the State Agricultural Development Programme (AKADEP) and its welfare impact on the farmers. The Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) class of measures was used to determine the incidence, the depth and severity of poverty among rice farming households who are adopters and non-adopters of improved rice varieties. The incidence, depth, and severity of poverty were higher among households who were non-adopters of improved rice varieties. The Tobit regression model was used to determine the factors that affect adoption and poverty. Educational attainment, access to extension agents, access to credit, access to augmented inputs, farm size, and crop yield were significant determinants of adoption of improved rice varieties. The results of the determinants of household poverty revealed that age, educational attainment, extent of commercialization and probability of adoption negatively influenced household poverty, whereas household size exerted a positive impact on the household poverty levels. The negative impact of adoption of improved rice varieties on household poverty implicitly showed improvement in households' welfare that had adopted improved rice varieties. These results generally suggest the relevance of adoption of improved rice varieties in improving the welfare of rice farming households. It also suggests relevance of human capital indices like education and extension services as drivers of poverty alleviation and dissemination of new innovations to farming households.