Adoption of the Improved Sorghum Variety (Melkame) in the West Hararghe, Mieso District

Abstract

Sorghum bicolor, also known as sorghum, is a type of grass that is grown for its grain. This grain is used for various purposes, such as human consumption, animal feed, and ethanol production. The study aims to identify the factors that influence the adoption of the Melkam sorghum variety in the Mieso district by collecting primary data from 160 randomly selected respondents through a structured questionnaire. Econometric models were then employed to analyze the relationship and determine the adoption factors of the Melkam Sorghum variety using STATA 13 software. The study utilized frequencies, percentages, correlation, and regression to analyze the data. The findings indicated that the use of improved sorghum (Melkam) resulted in a positive correlation with the availability of an active working labor force in the household. Farmers were more inclined to adopt new technologies when they frequently interacted with extension agents. The size of the family and the frequency of contact with extension agents significantly influenced farmers' decisions to adopt the improved sorghum (Melkam) variety (t = 5.07, P>0.005) and (t = 6.73, P>0.005) at 1 percent, respectively. The study recommends that the government should increase their contact with farmers to at least once a month through extension agents to promote the adoption of improved sorghum (Melkam). Therefore, to improve communication with farmers, extension agents should utilize local community organizations and effective traditional knowledge-sharing methods in conjunction with modern extension systems. It is recommended that extension agents prioritize households with larger family sizes as potential adopters of new technologies, while also paying special attention to households with smaller family sizes.