Willingness to adopt the vine multiplication technique in seed yam production in the forest savanna transition agro-ecological zone, Ghana

Abstract

Yam is a vital crop in Ghana both at the domestic and export markets. It contributes about 17% of agricultural gross domestic product (GDP) and plays a key role in household food security with more than 2 million tons harvested each year. However, the inadequacy of planting materials is a major constraint in yam production. The cost of planting materials alone constitutes about 50% of total cost of production. The newly developed technique of propagating yam through vine cuttings (vine multiplication technique) has been introduced by Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI) and its partners to farmers. To assess the willingness of farmers to adopt the vine technology, a study was conducted in the forest-savannah transition zone of Ghana in 2010 involving a total of 375 yam farmers (324 males and 51 females). The study used the probit model to assess framers’ willingness to adopt the vine technique. The results show that age, farm size, experience, yield, cost of adoption, ease of adoption, visits to a demonstration field and the expectation of obtaining more seed yams influenced farmers’ willingness to adopt the vine technique. It is recommended that the technology should be promoted targeting younger experienced farmers with larger farm sizes and higher yields Key words: Ghana, probit model, vine technique, willingness to adopt, Yam.