factors affecting adoption of ca in malawi. james l mlamba
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Factors Affecting Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in
Malawi
James L. Mlamba
WCCA27 September 2011Brisbane, Australia
Outline
IntroductionStudy areaData collectionSampling procedureResultsConclusion/Recommendations
Introduction
Agriculture is the single most important sector of Malawi’s economy
It employs about 80% of the workforce,
It contributes over 80% of foreign exchange earnings
It also contributes significantly to national and household food security
Introduction
It is characterised by low and stagnant yields and production of crops relies heavily on rainfall
Crop production is mainly dominated by maize and that is estimated to cover 70% of the arable land
The sector is facing some environmental challenges, which include soil erosion, low soil organic matter, nutrient deficiency and water shortage caused by drought
Introduction
To counteract these problems different technologies are being promoted among which is Conservation Agriculture (CA)
CA is based on the three principles of minimum soil disturbance, continuous soil cover and crop rotation/associations
Despite the efforts being employed and benefits that CA has over conventional land management practices, adoption still remains low
Introduction
This study therefore was carried out to determine factors affecting/restricting adoption of conservation agriculture and draw recommendations that may help in the up-scaling of the technology
Study Area
The study was carried out in Salima District
It is Rift Valley Escarpment Physiographic region (600-1000 masl)
Rainfall: 800-1200mm but most areas receive less than 1000 mm.
Rainy season lasts 3-4 months
Salima
Data Collection
• Farmer interviews were used through administration of semi-structured questionnaire
• Another questionnaire was also administered to field staff
Sampling Procedure
The study involved 60 farmersThey were divided into three sub
groups -Farmers practicing CA for a
minimum of three years,-farmers who once practiced the
CA but were no longer doing it, -farmers who had never tried the
CAThe respondents were selected.
Results
• The results support the idea that male-headed households were more likely to adopt CA than females headed ones
• No relationship was found between age of the respondents and adoption of CA
• No statistical correlation was found between household size and CA adoption
Results
No overall correlation was found between the adoption of CA and the household head's level of education - probably because less than 20% of all respondents had actually attended school to secondary level
The study found no statistical correlation between farm size and adoption of CA, but most who did not practice CA (60%) owned less than 2ha, while most who did practice it (65%) owned more than 2 ha
Results
A significant difference in levels of income was observed between farmers practicing the CA and those who had stopped
There was a positive correlation between maintaining CA and having made a personal financial outlay to acquire the initial inputs
Farmer Group Membership among Respondents
Response Practicing CA
No longer Practicing CA
Never Practiced CA
Yes 85% 30% 30%
No 15% 70% 70%
Results
Response Practicing CA
No longer Practicing CA
Never Practiced CA
Attended CA Training
100% 85% 40%
Never attended CA Training
0% 15% 60%
Results
First input acquisition method
Response Practicing CA
No longer Practicing CA
Bought with own cash
75% 40%
Loan 5% 0%
Grant 50% 60%
Results
Reasons for Participating in CAReason %Soil and water conservation
45
Soil fertility improvement 60%More yielding 40%Low labour demanding 70%
Results
Reasons for stopping Practicing CAReason %Expensive 60Grants stopped 35High labour demanding 10Input scarcity 5
Results
Reasons for never participating in CAReason %Not selected by the extension worker
30
Expensive 30Not Interested 15Never been trained 20Never heard of it 5
Conclusion/Recommendations• Mobilising farmers to find their
own start-up inputs would enhance adoption
• There is need to demonstrate that CA is not synonymous with herbicide application
• Farmer trainings in CA and mobilizing famers into groups need to be given more emphasis
Thanks for the attention
A legume after maize harvest
Soybean crop
A section of participants at a field day
Mulching after harvest
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