Title: A duration model for the investigation of the adoption spell of improved maize varieties in Ethiopia

Authors: Sisay Diriba Lemessa

Addresses: Department of Economics, College of Business and Economics, Haramaya University, P.O. Box 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

Abstract: This paper presents a mixture of descriptive, parametric (Weibull), semi-parametric and non-parametric duration model employed to investigate and analyse the adoption spell of improved maize varieties (IMVs) in Ethiopia. The study based on data gathered from a sample of 898 households. The non-parametric result showed that the speed of adoption of IMVs was expedited in the early years but slugged as the number of years from first awareness increased. The parametric and semi-parametric duration model estimates showed that socio-demographic, social capital and organisational factors curtail the adoption spell of IMVs. Among institutional factors, access to credit and extension contact was found as a significant factor for shortening awaiting time of IMVs adoption. Besides distance from information centres such as market, cooperatives and agricultural extension also significantly determine adoption spell of IMVs. Likewise, input cost, drought stress, pest and diseases have been the main factors that have impede speedy IMVs adoption.

Keywords: duration; maize; technology; Weibull; Cox proportional hazard model; Ethiopia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSAMI.2017.085672

International Journal of Sustainable Agricultural Management and Informatics, 2017 Vol.3 No.2, pp.154 - 169

Received: 10 Jan 2017
Accepted: 21 Mar 2017
Published online: 05 Aug 2017 *

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