Abstract

Access to necessary farm resources plays a vital role in the adoption of any agricultural technology. This study examined the effect of access to farm resource on the adoption of Sawah technology in Nigeria. The study described the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents, determined the adoption level of Sawah among the respondents and ascertained respondents? access to required resources. Using interview guide, data were collected from 154 selected Sawah farmers. Descriptive statistics and Regression analysis were used to analyse the data. The respondents were predominantly male (99%), married (98%) and had Quranic education (64%), with mean age of 42.3 years. The mean household size was 14, farm size ranged from 0.03 to10 hectares (Average= 0.5 ha), the average yield was 4.65 tonnes per hectare, and mean farmers? annual income was ?151000. Sawah technology package was fully adopted by 56.3% of farmers, partially adopted by 30.6% and discontinued by 13.2%. The farmers had access to land, but the access varied from full (46.2%) to partial (53.8%). Farmers had little (43.7%) to no access (37.0%) to equipment and tools, of which the main concern was the power tiller. The majority of farmers had access (80.7%) to required labour. Farmers had no adequate access to improved seed (70.6%), credit and loans (70.6%), information (76.5%) and extension services (69.7%). Farmers? level of adoption was related to access to land (? = 0.204), equipment/tools (? = 0.178), required labou and r (? = 0.356), cash (? = 0.191), information (? = 0.247) and extension services (? = 0.275). This study has brought to fore the roles of access to resources in adoption and dissemination of Sawah technology. For further dissemination and adoption of Sawah technology, policymakers must bear the major findings of this study in mind especially on provision of land, improved seed, credit and loans and extension services.

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