2026· Journal of Research in Agriculture and Food Sciences· 0 citations
Abstract
Background:
Agriculture remains central to Nigeria’s economy; however, despite its importance as a major vegetable crop, onion productivity in the country continues to lag behind global benchmarks.
Aim:
This study analyzes the determinants and interdependence of the adoption of multiple sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) by smallholder onion farmers in the Wamakko Local Government Area.
Methods:
A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select 162 onion farmers. Data were obtained through structured questionnaires administered via face-to-face interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, an adoption index, and a multivariate probit (MVP) model. A multivariate probit (MVP) model was employed to account for the possibility that farmers simultaneously adopt multiple sustainable agricultural practices and that these decisions are interdependent.
Results:
The results show that onion farmers are predominantly within their economically active age group, indicating a strong potential for improved agricultural practices to be adopted. The adoption pattern further reveals that sustainable agricultural practices are implemented jointly rather than independently, suggesting that practices are complementary. The multivariate probit estimates indicate that the adoption determinants vary across practices. Age negatively influences the adoption of Organic Farming (OF) but positively affects reduced tillage. Household size is positively associated with the adoption of Integrated Weed Management (IWM), while education significantly increases the likelihood of adopting IWM. Farming experience positively influences Crop Rotation (CR) but negatively affects Reduced Tillage (RT). In addition, farm size shows a negative relationship with IWM, and total onion output is negatively associated with organic farming. These findings suggest that both human capital and resource endowment play an important role in influencing farmers’ adoption decisions, although their effects differ across practices. The model’s joint significance confirms the relevance of the explanatory variables, while the multivariate framework captures the interdependence of adoption decisions. However, these relationships should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects.
Conclusion:
The study concludes that farmer characteristics and the interrelated nature of SAPs strongly shape adoption patterns. It recommends strengthening extension services, improving access to inputs and credit, enhancing farmer education, and promoting youth participation to increase SAP adoption and narrow the onion production productivity gap.
Commercialization of agriculture is increasingly considered significant for fostering rural development and economic growth. Thus, an attempt has been made in this study to understand the role of various factors in driving horticultural commercialization in Assam, India.
The study uses primary data from a sample of 540 farm households across six districts of Assam. The Cragg’s independent double hurdle (IDH) model is used to identify the factors influencing the adoption and intensity of commercial horticulture farming.
Farmers' decisions to adopt and intensify horticulture commercialization are significantly influenced by factors like gender, education, risk-taking attitude, off-farm income, group membership, training, extension support and farmland size. However, low female participation, limited credit access, inadequate marketing infrastructure and lack of public irrigation remain barriers to widespread adoption.
The study is based on a local geographical setting, i.e. the state of Assam, India, limiting the generalizability of its findings. Nevertheless, this research provides insight into the role of various factors in driving horticultural commercialization and can help farmers and policymakers make informed decisions to enhance horticultural commercialization.
The study examines the horticulture commercialization in the Assam state of northeastern India, which has not been studied before. Besides, while previous research primarily uses output market participation to measure farm commercialization, this article develops a composite index incorporating three indicators: crop land share, output market participation and input market participation.
Hemanta Das, N.B. Singh· Journal of Agribusiness in D...· 0 citations
The adoption of sustainable agriculture practices is essential for enhancing the environmental sustainability and long-term productivity of smallholder coffee farming systems. While previous studies have mainly focused on technical and institutional factors, the role of farmers' entrepreneurial orientation has received relatively little attention. This study examines how different dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation influence the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices among smallholder coffee farmers in Aceh Tengah, Indonesia. Data were collected from 156 coffee-farming households using a multi-stage random sampling approach. Sustainable agriculture adoption was measured as the total number of practices adopted, and the relationship was estimated using a Poisson regression model, with an ordered probit model employed as a robustness check. The results show that innovativeness (β = 0.275, *p* < 0.05) and proactiveness (β = 0.271, *p* < 0.05) are positively associated with the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices, whereas competitive aggressiveness (β = −0.205, *p* < 0.01) has a negative effect. In contrast, risk-taking and autonomy are not statistically significant. The robustness analysis using the ordered probit model produces consistent results, confirming the reliability of the main findings. These results suggest that encouraging farmers to be more innovative and proactive may be just as important as providing technical support. At the same time, stronger market incentives are needed to align competitiveness with sustainability goals better. The study also contributes to the entrepreneurial orientation literature by showing that its individual dimensions influence sustainable agriculture adoption in different ways, rather than having a uniform effect.
Ratna Kusuma Sari, Mangku Purnomo, T. Nugroho et al.· Agro Bali: Agricultural Jour...· 0 citations
The adoption of agricultural technology by smallholder farmers plays a pivotal role in accelerating Ethiopia′s economic transformation, particularly within the agricultural sector. Despite government policy initiatives that actively support agricultural technology, there is still a significant adoption gap among smallholder farmers because of institutional, environmental, and resource limitations. This study is aimed at exploring the factors influencing the adoption of the improved maize variety, BH660, among smallholder farmers in Womberma district, West Gojjam Zone, Amhara Regional State. The research utilized primary cross‐sectional data collected from a total sample of 370 smallholder farmers. A multistage sampling method was employed, with respondents selected using a probability proportional technique. The collected data were analyzed using a binary logit model to identify the most significant determinants of BH660 adoption. With 79.08% of the observations properly classified (80.85% sensitivity and 77.20% specificity), the empirical model showed a strong fit. The results of the regression analysis showed that BH660 adoption was positively and statistically significantly impacted by gender, educational attainment, and access to training, market information, positive behavioral attitudes, and agricultural experience. In particular, calculated marginal effects showed that the likelihood of adopting the hybrid seed was raised by 43.5% and 28.4%, respectively, by having a favorable behavioral attitude and receiving regular market information. Adoption likelihood was also raised by 25.4%, 28.2%, and 25.5% for men, literacy, and training and by 0.8% for every year of farming experience. Based on these results, regional policy actors can take advantage of these important drivers by putting in place functional adult literacy programs, growing Farmer Training Center activities, and adopting gender‐responsive extension frameworks to effectively increase adoption rates and foster sustainable agricultural development.
Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Practices (SAIPs) have emerged as a widely accepted approach for long-term and successful sustainable food production by addressing today’s widespread environmental challenges. Although some global concerns are serious, and there is a demand to completely implement Agenda 2030, it appears that developing nations are unable to adopt SAIPs on a wide scale. This study applied Principal Component Analysis (PCA), reducing 10 SAIPs to four key components: Regenerative Farming Ensemble (RFE), Integrated Nutrient Smart Farming (INSF), Water-wise Farming (WWF), and Green Land Stewards (GLS). Factors influencing farmers’ adoption of any of the four components were identified using a linear multivariate regression model as the primary model, with a seemingly unrelated regression model as a robustness check. The results indicate that farmers’ demographics, institutional context, and farm-related characteristics have distinct influences on the adoption of SAIPs components. For instance, household attributes, access to institutional support, and farm-level conditions significantly shaped SAIPs adoption across the four components. These results underscore the heterogeneity of adoption pathways and highlight the importance of tailoring interventions to specific farmer profiles and contexts. This study recommends promoting SAIPs through targeted training modules that equip farmers with practical implementation skills. Additionally, frequent workshops and information dissemination through TV, radio, and mobile platforms should be prioritized to strengthen awareness and capacity for sustainable farming practices.
G. Danso-Abbeam, C. C. Okolie, O. T. Selelo et al.· Environment, Development and...· 0 citations
Declining soil fertility, land degradation, climate variability, and low maize productivity continue to threaten the sustainability of smallholder maize production and household food security in Ghana. Regenerative agricultural practices (RAPs) have the potential to address these challenges, yet evidence on their adoption remains limited. This study assessed the level of RAP adoption among maize farmers in the Offinso North Municipality of Ghana and identified the factors influencing adoption. A cross-sectional survey design was employed. Primary data were collected from 385 maize farmers selected through a multistage sampling technique using a questionnaire-based survey. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney
U
-test, Pearson correlation, point-biserial correlation, and ordinal logistic regression. The results showed that over 70% of the farmers had not reached a high level of adoption of RAPs. Farmers with access to extension services adopted significantly more RAPs than those without access (
U
= 6,727;
p
< 0.001). Household size, age, sex, farming experience, labor source, land tenure, maize specialization, and access to extension services significantly influenced the adoption of RAPs. Policy interventions need to focus on improving extension systems, tenure security and labor constraints to promote adoption. These support SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). The study contributes to the literature by advancing an adoption-intensity perspective from a developing country.
F. Ankuyi, Rebecca Ansah, Nathaniel Fobi et al.· Frontiers in Sustainable Foo...· 0 citations
Agribusiness-led contract farming has increasingly emerged as an important mechanism for integrating smallholder farmers into commercial agricultural value chains. This research evaluated the livelihood outcomes associated with participation in the Tomato Jos Out-Grower Scheme among smallholder maize farmers in Kaduna State of Nigeria. Purposive sampling method was used to choose 180 active farmers from a group of 600 registered out-growers. Structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data, which wasthen analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that most farmers are men (82.2%), own less than one hectare of land (96.7%), and rely on farming as their main source of income (72.8%). Multiple regression analysis revealed that farm size, land tenure, educational attainment, and income source significantly influenced livelihood outcomes among participating farmers. Taking part in the programme led to clear gains in crop yield, income, market access, and food security. Nevertheless, restricted access to credit persisted as the paramount limitation (97.8%). The study finds that contract farming led by agribusiness greatly improves the lives of smallholder farmers, but the results are different for people with different socio-economic backgrounds. Enhancing the efficacy of development initiatives requires policies that facilitate loan availability and secured land tenure arrangement.
M. Abdullahi, D. Abdulazeez, A. S. Haruna et al.· Agro-Science· 0 citations