文章基本信息

标题：Production risk and farm technology adoption in the rain-fed semi-arid lands of Kenya
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作者：Ogada, Maurice Juma ; Nyangena, Wilfred ; Yesuf, Mahmud 等
期刊名称：Journal of Agribusiness
印刷版ISSN：0738-8950
出版年度：2010
页码：159-174
出版社：Journal of Agribusiness
摘要：This study provides empirical evidence on the effects of production risk on smallholder farmers’ adoption of farm technology, using plot-level data collected from two semi-arid districts in Kenya, Machakos and Taita Taveta. Using Mundlak’s approach (1978), the study found that factors such as yield variability and the risk of crop failures indeed affect technology adoption decisions in low-income, rainfed agriculture. However, the direction and magnitude of effects depend on the farm technology under consideration. The results explain why poor farm households in rainfed and risky production environments are reluctant to adopt new farm technologies that could improve production: it is because the technologies involve enormous downside risks. This result underscores the fact that productivity gain is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition to attract farmers to adopt new technologies and agricultural innovations.
关键词：farm productivity;production risk;farm technology adoption;Kenya