Factors influencing farmers decisions to technological adoption for enhancing livelihoods security in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, India

This paper summarizes the results of an adoption study conducted in between 2014 and 2016 in district Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand, to determine the level and extent of adoption of selected technologies. This study aimed to identify reason of low adoption rates and policy lapses in adoption of technologies for future conduct of research and research-extension linkages. A sample of 604 household from 64 villages was randomly selected from three different blocks of the district to determine the distribution of adoption of the technologies. Semi-structured questionnaire and interview method were used to collect the primary data and survey questions used to identify the factors that affect farmer’s decision on adoption of technology. Adoption rate was highest for the cases of inorganic fertilizer (52.21%), improved seed (19.48%), bio/vermicompost (11.03%), polyhouse (9.93%), water harvesting tank (6.99). The high rates of adoption may be due to extensive diffusion of technology. The results of the logistic regression model show that the age and education of household head (HHAge and HHEdu), land size (TLand), institutional support for adopting the new technology (InsSupp) and farmers cosmopoliteness (Cosmopo) are the main determinants of the adoption of new farm technology. The model shows that after keeping the other variables constant, the effect of variables such as age and education of the household head, area of agriculture land, institutional support and cosmopoliteness, favours adoption. This study will assist the policy makers to develop and extent area specific suitable technology with proper technical know-how for higher extension and adoption of the technology.