Determinants of Agricultural Technology Adoption in Urban Vegetable Production: A Case Study of Chelencko and Kullubi Towns

Abstract

This study focuses on identifying the factors influencing farmers’ decisions to adopt agricultural input technology for urban vegetable production among households in Chelencko and Kullubi town within the Meta District, East Hararghe Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. The study used cross sectional data and collected information from a sample of 232 respondents from the two towns in the Meta District, located in the East Hararghe Zone. Both qualitative and quantitative data obtained from primary and secondary data sources. The multinomial logit model was utilized to achieve its research objective and to identify the determinants of agricultural input technology adoption. The study result indicates that education level, livestock holding, extension contact, farming experience, access to training, off/non-farm activities, and access to credit positively and significantly influenced the agricultural input technology in urban vegetable production, while family size and dependent ratio had a negative and significant influence on technology adoption in urban vegetable production. Agricultural input technology has the potential to enhance vegetable production, which in turn improves the household’s residence food security. Moreover, the study calls for Municipal Administrations and District Agricultural Office should prioritize attention on the most significant variables that influence the adoption of agricultural input technology for urban vegetable production practices.