Analyzing Adoption and Intensity of Use of Coffee Technology Package in Yergacheffe District, Gedeo Zone, SNNP Regional State, Ethiopia

Coffee is among the most traded commodity across the world and thus coffee plays a vital role in the balancing of trade between developed and developing countries. Coffee (Coffea arabica), originated in Ethiopia and supports the livelihood of many small scale farmers. However, the efficiency of coffee system is inhibited by different factors of which lack and low use of improved technological packages takes a big share. This research therefore, conducted in Yergacheffe District with the objectives of analyzing adoption and intensity of use of coffee technology package and investigating demographic, socio-economic and institutional factors which have relation to coffee technological packages and characterize adoption and Intensity of Use of coffee technology package related problems. The study used both primary and secondary data.160 household heads were selected using systematic random sampling procedure with sample size allocation procedures of probability proportional to size method. Structured interview questionnaire was prepared and administered to elicit the required data. Data were analyzed, and presented quantitatively using different statistical methods such as percentage, mean, frequency, Chi-square (categorical variables) and (F-test for continuous variables), F-test and Chi-square test were employed to test the variation of the sample respondents they have towards adoption and intensity of coffee technology package and also used to describe the patterns of the sample data. The results of Tobit model indicated that respondents level of education, social participation, access to credit, labor availability, and farm size and achievement motivation were important variables which had positively and significantly influenced adoption and intensity of use of improved coffee technology package. On the other hand, market distance had shown negative and significantly affected adoption and intensity of use of coffee technology package. Based on the finding of the current study it can be concluded that, policy and development interventions should give emphasis towards improvement of such economical and institutional support system so as to achieve wider adoption, increased productivity and increase income level of small scale farmers.