Determinants of Adoption of Improved Maize Varieties in Zabzugu-Tatale Districts in the Northern Region of Ghana: A Case Study of Obaatanpa Variety

Abstract

Low yield of maize continues to affect the livelihood of smallholder farmers in the Zabzugu-Tatale area despite the introduction of a high yielding Obatanpa maize variety. The study used a cross-sectional survey design with 240 randomly sampled household heads growing maize to examine determinants of adoption of Obatampa varieties (IMVs) by farmers in the Zabzugu-Tatale area in the Northern Region of Ghana. A binary logistic model was used to examine the factors that determine the adoption of Obatanpa maize variety by farmers in Zabzugu-Tatale. The results showed a high (58.8%) level of adoption of Obatanpa in the study area. The logistic regression analysis shows that sex, household size, number of years of education of the household head, membership to FBOs, farm size, farmers' awareness of Obatanpa, access to credit and access to extension service had a positive significant relationship with the adoption of Obatanpa maize variety. Age, however, had an inversely significant relationship with the adoption of Obatanpa maize variety. The paper recommends that MoFA should mandate the formation of FBOs to enhance farmers' access to resources. MoFA needs to also work with private partners to increase farmers' access to credit facilities at low interest.