Amanuel Afeto,
- , Agricultural Research Institute; Bonga Agricultural Research Center, Bonga, Southwest Ethiopia
Abstract
Agriculture is the backbone of the Ethiopian economy, but the production system was backward, and the adoption of agricultural technology was low. This study aims to identify and determine factors affecting smallholder farmers’ adoption of chemical fertilizer. Bita, Chena, Andiracha, and Sheyi Bench district of the southwest Ethiopia region was selected for this study. Household individual survey interview, key informant interview, and focus group discussion were the primary data collection methods used, and published and unpublished sources were used for secondary data. A total of 261 households were interviewed by a structured questionnaire, and descriptive statistics like mean, standard deviation, percent, frequency, and a binary logistic regression model were the analysis methods used to indicate the results. The utilization of chemical fertilizers for crop production was lower than half of the sample households. The adoption of chemical fertilizer was lower in all districts except in households in the Sheyi-Bench district. Out of the chemical fertilizer adopters, 39.42% used only NPS, and 60.58% used both NPS and urea in the 2023-2024 production year. Chemical fertilizer adoption of households is positively and significantly affected by the education level of the household head, logarithm of total annual income of the household, and frequency of extension agent contact, and negatively affected by age of the household head, distance from market, and livestock ownership of households. Inflated price of chemical fertilizer, problem of supply, and farmers’ negative perception are challenges for its adoption. To improve the adoption of chemical fertilizer, it needs to work on its price, changing farmers’ negative perception of it, and giving much attention to promotion and strengthening work on organic fertilizer.
Keywords: Adoption, Chemical Fertilizer, Binary logistic, Southwest Ethiopia
[This article belongs to Research & Reviews : Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology ]
Amanuel Afeto. Determinants of the Adoption of chemical Fertilizer in Kaffa, Bench Sheko and Sheka zones of Southwest Ethiopia. Research & Reviews : Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology. 2026; 15(01):1-11.
Amanuel Afeto. Determinants of the Adoption of chemical Fertilizer in Kaffa, Bench Sheko and Sheka zones of Southwest Ethiopia. Research & Reviews : Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology. 2026; 15(01):1-11. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/rrjoast/article=2026/view=235606
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| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 01 |
| Received | 28/06/2025 |
| Accepted | 13/12/2025 |
| Published | 05/01/2026 |
| Publication Time | 191 Days |
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