Adoption Of Quality Protein Maize Technology In Tanzania: The Case Of Northern Zone

ABSTRACT

Quality protein maize (QPM) contains nearly twice as much usable protein more than normal maize. Since 2001 QPM varieties have been disseminated in the country to small scale farmers for production and adoption. The thrust of this study was to determine the adoption of (QPM) technology and examine the factors that influence its adoption by farmers. Primary data was collected from randomly selected 120 smallholder maize farmers in four villages of northern Tanzania (Babati and Hai) districts. Data collected from formal and informal surveys were analysed using descriptive and quantitative methods to asses the rate of adoption. Logit model was used to determine factors that influence adoption of QPM technology in the study area. Study findings revealed that the rate of adoption of QPM technology was 25%. QPM seed unavailability was the major reason for not adopting reported by nonadopters. The regression results indicated that education of the household head, farmers’ participation on demonstration trials, attendance to field days, and number of livestock owned positively influenced the rate of adoption of QPM technology. Lack of special QPM product market and agricultural production credit facilities negatively influenced the likelihood of farmers to adopt QPM technology in the study area. The study therefore indicated that the adoption rate of QPM technology was low across the study area. It is therefore recommended that the Ministry of Agriculture to put efforts to ensure efficient input output linkage for QPM production. Maize breeders incorporate a special marker in QPM that can differentiate it from normal maize.The ii formal credit system to address the agriculture credit constraints of small-scale farmers, and make it available for agricultural production.