Abstract

The objective of this study is to identify and analyze the socio-economic factors influencing farmers’ response to adoption and use intensity of commercially available organic fertilizer by non-users of fertilizer in Oyo State, Nigeria. A total of 139 respondents selected by multi-stage random sampling technique were interviewed with the aid of structured questionnaires augmented with personal observations on the farmers’ farm. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, test of difference between means and proportions, and Tobit regression analysis. Result of the Tobit model estimates showed that number of years spent in acquiring formal education, household size, and number of extension visit received during last cropping season positively influenced adoption decisions, while farming experience, farm size, and distance from source of supply of commercial organic fertilizer negatively influenced adoption decisions. The result confirms the importance of information dissemination and ability to process such information, availability of labour and nearness to the source of technology in adoption decisions.

Key words: Farmers’ response, organic fertilizer, incidence, use intensity, relative use, status.