HECKMAN MODEL FOR IDENTIFYING THE PROBABILITY OF ADOPTION OF IMPROVED VARIETIES OF SORGHUM, MILLET, GROUNDNUT AND SESAME IN NORTH KORDOFAN STATE, SUDAN

الملخص

This study was carried out with the objective of identifying and analyzing the probability of adoption of improved varieties of sorghum, millet, groundnut and sesame in three localities of Sheikan, Umrawaba and Elrahad in the North Kordofan State. Data for this study was primarily from farm household surveys conducted in seven seasons (2006/2007 to 2014/2015) in three localities of Sheikan, Elrahad and Umrawaba in North Kordofan State. A random sample of 794 households was randomly drawn from different villages in the study area. Multi-stage random approach was adopted. Heckman models were used to assess the probability of adoption of improved varieties using STATA12 and SPSS22 software packages to draw results and test hypotheses. Results found that the annual total household income of adopters of improved varieties was greater than the non-adopters by 22%. Whereas the average farm income of adopters exceeded the non adopters by 47%. Heckman model analysis depicted that the factors which significantly and positively affected farmers’ decision to adoption of improved varieties of sorghum were number of family members male (0.108) and attending training (0.600), whereas family members female (-0.097), age of respondents (-0.014) negatively affected farmers’ decision to adoption of improved varieties of sorghum. The most important factors that decreased the likelihood of millet improved varieties
adoption according to the Heckman’s selection equation were age of farmers (-0.014). The outcome equation, farmers who tend to increase improved area of millet were those who have larger total grown farm areas (0.015), farmers who attending training (0.944) and increased female family members (0.119). Factors which significantly and positively affected farmers’ decision to adopt improved varieties of groundnut were education of respondents (0.414) and the number of males in the household (0. 073), while those negatively affected farmers’ decision to adopt improved varieties of groundnut were male family labor (-0.177) and sex of household head (-0.659). Factors which significantly and positively affected farmers’ decision to adopt improved varieties of sesame were the number of males in the household (0.058) and age of respondents (0.024).