The Socio-economic and Institutional Determinants of Adoption of Improved Cowpea Varieties in Northern Burkina Faso

Abstract

Aims: The objective of this research is to study the socio-economic and institutional determinants to the adoption of improved cowpea varieties. Specifically, it aims to estimate the rate of adoption of improved cowpea varieties and to determine the factors influencing the decision to adopt it. Study Design: A questionnaire survey was conducted in northern Burkina Faso to collect data on the determinants of adoption of improved varieties of cowpea. Place and Duration of Study: The survey was conducted in four villages in two communes in northern Burkina Faso in April 2016 for a month between 01/04/2016 and 30 April 2016. Methodology: This study was conducted in two rural communes in the northern of Burkina Faso. On both sites, the sampling of producers has been purposive, striving to keep farmers in various situations including head farmer’s gender and age. Two villages were surveyed in each rural commune, or on the whole, four villages surveyed for both communes. An econometric model was used, it is a binary model, the probit model. On the whole, one hundred and seventy-seven (177) farms were surveyed. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using the SPSS and Stata software. Results: The results give a rate 70.06% of adoption of improved cowpea varieties. The econometric results showed that five variables have influenced the decision to adopt improved varieties of cowpea, including: age, training to use improved cowpea varieties, the number of small ruminants possessed, the practice of vegetable gardening and the use of pesticides. Only vegetable gardening negatively influences the adoption of improved varieties, while the other four variables positively influence the adoption of improved cowpea varieties. Conclusion: The adoption of new improved varieties of cowpea by farmers requires a capacity building of producers on the technical itinerary of the crop which is an important source of food and income for the population of this area.