Abstract

Lack of knowledge on the influence of perception based socio-economic factors capable of influencing smallholder farmers to adopt biotechnology has often been cited as a crucial policy gap. This scenario has been attributed to the retardation of the advancement of technology to smallholder farmers. Effectively, a widening gap seems to exist between large and smallholder farmers on the adoption rate of biotechnology, to the disadvantage of the latter. Low adoption rate of Bt maize by smallholder farmers amid multiple benefits from this technology presents a significant gap in literature and policy worth exploring. Understanding smallholder farmers’ perceptions on biotechnology and the relative influence of these perceptions towards adoption of Bt maize may be necessary in providing answers to the slow adoption rate, which could be used to model corrective policy prescriptions. Using a Binary Logistic Regression Model, fourteen predictor independent variables were regressed against the dichotomous dependent variable of Bt maize adoption status of households. The goal was to estimate the manipulative power of smallholder perception based factors that may influence households’ decision to adopt Bt maize. Results suggests that, the elimination of problems encountered in conventional agriculture, easy farm management, reduction in agricultural chemicals, improvement in overall quality and nutritional values of products possible with Bt maize, labelling of Genetically Modified foods and availability of information, were significant perceptions shared by farmers, capable of positively influencing adoption of Bt maize by smallholder farmers. Moreover, the feared technological fees, yearly purchase cost of Bt maize seed and restriction on saving Bt maize seed as returned seed, seem to be insignificant to send a disincentive signal to hinder adoption of Bt maize by smallholder farmers. Effectively, results further suggest that benefits attached may far outweigh the intrinsic costs associated. The implied message centres on lack of information on biotechnology among smallholder farmers who have shown that they may adopt the technology. Hence, policy prescriptions that focus on strategic dissemination of biotechnology information to smallholder farmers may help in the advancement of biotechnology to smallholder farmers.

Key words: Smallholder perceptions, biotechnology adoption Bt maize, binary logistic regression.