Adoption of Improved Maize Farming Technologies by Women Farmers in Zambia

The aims of this study were to identify key factors that affect women household heads’ awareness and knowledge of existing improved farming technologies and to determine the factors that influence women farmers’ adoption of animal draught (ox plough) and agroforestry in Zambia. The study was a survey in which semi structured questionnaires were used to interview women household heads. The focus of this study was mainly on women farmers who are household heads cultivating maize under draught animal (ox) and agroforestry farming practices. The study was conducted in Mkushi and Mazabuka districts in the Central and Southern provinces of Zambia respectively. Data were collected between June 2012 and September 2012.

Mkushi and Mazabuka districts were purposively selected because they lie within the “maize belt” of Southern Africa where maize production intensification technologies have been implemented since the 1990’s. The study was conducted at micro level (village level) in the selected agricultural blocks, after which stratification of women farmers was done among adopters and non adopters. Finally, simple random sampling was used in selecting 50 adopters and 114 non-adopters from the two strata. Data were analysed using STATA software. Descriptive statistics and the multi-stage logit regression model formed the basis of analysis.

Access to communication gadgets like phones and membership to farmers’ groups was found to increase the probability of awareness of technologies among women farmers by 90% and 35% respectively. The size of land under cultivation was found to increase the likelihood of adoption of ox plough technology by 29% while at the same time reducing the likelihood of adopting agroforestry technologies by 68%.Results revealed that women adopters had higher maize yields at 949 Kg/ha compared to 861.9 Kg/ha for non-adopters. This is mainly attributed to the advantages that come with sustainable agricultural practices like agroforestry.

Communication related factors are key in creating and increasing awareness of existing technologies among women farmers. Similar factors seem to promote adoption of both animal draught (ox plough) and agroforestry technologies among women farmers though expanding scale of production leads to more likelihood of ox plough adoption and later transition to more sophisticated machinery like tractors.