Dissemination strategies and the adoption of improved agricultural technologies: The case of improved cassava varieties in Ghana

Abstract

Cassava (<i>Manihot esculanta</i> Crantz) is an important tropical root crop for food security and national economies in Africa. In Ghana, it is the most important staple food also used in breweries, bakery and confectionery industries. Several high-yielding and disease resistant improved cassava varieties (ICVs) have been released and are being promoted through diverse dissemination channels. Past studies investigate the role of information in the adoption of agricultural technologies without accounting for the diversity in the dissemination strategies. The paper explores the diversity of dissemination strategies in examining the adoption of improved cassava varieties using a sequential mixed-method approach which combines exploratory interviews and focus group discussions with a questionnaire-based quantitative survey and the Cragg's two-part model. The paper uses data collected from 608 farmers randomly selected from major cassava producing communities in the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions in Ghana, West Africa. The results show statistically significant and identical impact of information through demonstrations, distribution of planting materials, farmer-to-farmer and media on the probability of ICV adoption. Other drivers of adoption are the membership of farmers based organizations (FBO), planting of two or more varieties and having large livestock size. However, ICV adoption and intensity was hampered by household size, distances to the nearest tarred road and market, and grey-skin color. These attributes need to be integral of dissemination campaigns for cassava variety adoption.