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Socio-economic factors critical for adoption of fish farming
technology: The case of selected villages in Eastern
Tanzania
Kitojo Wetengere
Institute of Social Work (ISW), P.O. Box 3375, Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania.
E-mail:
wetengerekkj@yahoo.com.
Accepted 17 July, 2009 |
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Improving farm production through integrating modern
technologies into the existing farming system is essential
for the enhancement of household food and income security.
Fish farming is one of the technologies that were introduced
to meet that end. A study was conducted to identify factors
that influence the adoption of fish farming technology. Data
were collected from 340 respondents randomly sampled from
selected villages in Eastern Tanzania and was analyzed using
the probit model. Results indicate that sex, age, formal
education, religious beliefs, extension education, land
size, income, family size, risk and profitability are
important for the adoption of fish farming technology. Three
recommendations emerge from these findings. First, planners
and extensionists should target fish farming technology to
farmers with resources necessary to adopt the technology and
those who do not have religious belief that impede the
practice of the technology. Second, there is need to provide
extension education for potential farmers on various aspects
of fish farming as this will stimulate the up-take of the
technology. Finally, technology developers should strive to
improve the profitability of fish farming through the
reduction of the risk of losing fish, shortening culture
cycle to target market size fish, use of low cost inputs
and/or integrating fish farming with the existing farming
systems and access to urban markets.
Key words:
Adoption, fish farming, household resources, Tanzania. |
