Abstract:
For maximum impact, high yielding improved varietie
s with significant yield
advantages must be targeted to farmers and localiti
es that value this trait most.
Explaining farmers’ demand for yield can serve as a
means of targeting the development
and dissemination of high yielding varieties. This
paper analyzes data collected from 395
farmers in northern Ethiopia using a zero-limit Tob
it regression. According to the results,
poor and marginalized farmers prefer varieties adap
table to poor weather and soils, early
maturing, and those which can address diverse conce
rns than varieties exceptionally good
in a single trait (like yield). The richer farmers
demand more yield advantage over the
existing ones to convince them to use Improved Vari
eties. For farmers operating in
relatively good farming systems (soils, weather, et
c
.
), investment has to be made not only
on crop improvement but also on complementary input
s, improved practices, and market
development. Farmers who consider improved varietie
s more marketable and valuable
take up high yielding varieties with relatively mar
ginal yield difference. In areas and
farmers where there is lower demand for yield, othe
r variety traits (like early maturity,
yield stability, and adaptability to local soils/we
ather) are also important to consider in
future crop improvement activities. To ensure that
farmers who demand more yield use
IVs more productively, the yield advantage, compare
d to the existing varieties under use,
must be high enough and stable.
Keywords
: Modern crop varieties,
Significance of yield to smallholders, Variety trai
ts, Zero-
limit Tobit regression.
