Factors Influencing Adoption of Improved Sweet Potato Technology in Kwara State

Abstract

This study analysed factors influencing the adoption of improved sweet potato technology in Kwara State, Nigeria. Purposive sampling was used to select four villages that have been dedicatedly involved in sweet potato production for a period 5 years. Data were gathered through the administration of interview schedule to 20 randomly selected potato farmers from each of the 4 villages given a sample frame of 80 farmers. Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages, means and standard deviation were used to analyse the results of the study. Results revealed that majority of the respondents were in their middle age (42.5%) 41-50 years; 66.3% were male, 90% were married, 51.3% have no formal education. While 75% have farming as their primary occupation. The level of constraints faced by extension agents in meeting training needsduetopoorextensioncontacthadthehighestmeanvalueof2.30withstandarddeviationof0.74. Chi- square result revealed that educational level, land tenure system, membership of cooperative society and contact with extension agents have X2 value of 11.309, 15.235, 7.182 and 19.445 respectively and all significant determinants of adoption of improved production technology of sweet potato at p< 0.05. On the basis of these findings, it is recommended that improved extension contacts will boost farmers’ understanding of the innovation as well as their decision to adopt.