Socio-economic drivers of improved sweet potato varieties adoption among smallholder farmers in South-Kivu Province, DR Congo

Abstract

Promotion of improved crop varieties is an effective means of increasing farm productivity and alleviating poverty in rural areas. A successful dissemination of such varieties requires a deep understanding of target farmers’ attitudes, preferences and socio-economic status. This study aimed at assessing factors linked to smallholder farmers’ adoption decision for improved sweet potato varieties (ISPVs) in South-Kivu. A household survey was conducted on 360 smallholder farmers from four South-Kivu territories, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including Idjwi, Kabare, Kalehe and Walungu, and data were analyzed using a logit regression model. The adoption decision was negatively affected by farmers’ age and the field-to-house distance. In contrast, the ISPVs adoption was favored by farmers’ education level, reduced farm size, off-farm incomes, high monthly income and use of hired farm labor. Besides, farmers’ cooperative membership, access to credit and planting materials, and contacts with extension services were instrumental in adopting improved sweet potato varieties in South-Kivu. This study highlighted the need to strengthen extension services, seed delivery systems, and amending the credit systems for increased impact on improved varieties adoption among South-Kivu sweet potato farmers.