Full Length Research Paper

Socio-economic determinants of the adoption of budded planting materials in rubber smallholdings of the South West region, Cameroon

Pierre André Owona Ndongo¹, Eugene Ejolle Ehabe¹, Bénédicte Chambon-Poveda² and Jean-Clauce Bruneau³

¹Institute of agricultural research for development (IRAD), IRAD-Ekona, P. M. B. 25 Buea, Cameroon.

²Cirad-Persyst, TAB 34/02, Avenue d’agropolis, 34398 Montpellier, France.

³Université de Bordeaux 3, 11 Allée Jean Giroux, 33600 Pessac, France.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: pierre.andre.owona@gmail.com.

Tel: +237 74708989.

Accepted 25 January, 2010

   Abstract

The rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex Adr. Juss.) Muell. Arg. constitutes one of the main cash crops in Cameroon. The use of budded planting materials is being generalized in rubber smallholdings though the extent of its adoption remains quite variable. In this paper, a logit model was used to study the factors which determine the decision-making behaviour of farmers in the adoption of budded planting materials in the South West region of Cameroon. Survey results showed that the strongest predictor of the farmer’s intention to adopt budded planting materials was membership to a rubber farmers’ organization (odds ratio = 112; 95% confidence interval: 8.8685 to 1414.44). Mastery of the budding process and access to budwood were also factors which facilitated the appropriation of this innovation by farmers and that fostered its adoption in Cameroon.

Key words: Budded planting materials, adoption, Hevea brasiliensis, decision-making, Cameroon.