Factors influencing the adoption of improved cultivars: a case of peach farmers in Pakistan

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to investigate factors influencing the adoption of improved cultivars (ICs) in peach production in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. A total of 270 respondents were randomly selected from the three different cultivated areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, namely, Peshawar, Nowshera and Swat. Binary choice model was used in this study to categorise the ICs of peach farmers into adoption and non-adoption. The study identifies that socio-economic, institutional farm resources, and climatic factors are influencing the adoption of ICs of peach production. Results of the estimated model reveal that farmer’s age, education, household size, membership, cell phone, farm size, extension services and the role of the non-government organization have a positive effect on adoption of ICs. In addition, farmer’s experience, off-farm income, livestock and machinery ownership, credit access and inputs prices have a positive and significant impact on ICs adoption. Moreover, results of the logit model demonstrate that climatic related factors have a highly significant and positive impact on the adoption of ICs. These results suggested that institutional services should be strengthened to provide managerial and technical skills on ICs technology adoption and on time provision of financial services to enhance the productivity of peach farmers.