Determinants of Technology Adoption Among Maize Farmers in Kaduna State

This study examines the determinants of improved technology adoption among maize farmers in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. Maize is Nigeria's most widely cultivated cereal crop and a critical input for the poultry and food processing industries. Despite the availability of improved maize varieties, fertiliser recommendations, and mechanisation options, adoption rates among smallholder farmers in Kaduna State remain low, constraining productivity potential. This study adopts a descriptive survey design and collects data from 210 maize farmers in Kachia, Zaria, and Lere local government areas. Technology adoption is assessed across improved seed varieties, inorganic fertiliser, and herbicide use dimensions. Logistic regression and probit models are applied to identify adoption determinants. Findings reveal that farmer education level, farm size, access to credit, extension contact frequency, and membership in farmer cooperatives are significant positive determinants of technology adoption. Farmers belonging to cooperative societies are 2.4 times more likely to adopt improved seed varieties than non-members. Distance to the nearest input market is a significant negative predictor of adoption. The study concludes that cooperative membership and extension access are the most actionable levers for improving technology adoption among Kaduna State maize farmers. It recommends that the Kaduna State Agricultural Development Corporation prioritise farmer cooperative formation and strengthen agro-dealer networks in remote farming communities.

Keywords: technology adoption, maize farmers, Kaduna State, cooperative societies, extension services.