Determinants of adoption of improved box hive in Gambella zuria district, south west Ethiopia

Abstract

Despite the long tradition of beekeeping in Ethiopia and having potential for beekeeping the beekeepers in particular and the country in general are not well benefited from the subsector. The main objective of this study is to assess factors affecting adoption of modern beehive practices in the study area. The specific objectives are to assess beekeeping production system practiced in study area and to identify factors affecting adoption of modern beehive technologies in the study area. Stratified sampling technique was employed to identify the sample respondents. The sample respondents were categorized into adopters and nonadopters of modern bee hive. Based on probability proportional to size 59adopters and 71 non-adopters were identified out of 130 total sample respondents. The data were collected using structured interview schedule, group discussion, key informant discussion and observation; and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and logit model. The binary logit model reveals that education level of household head, beekeeping experience, extension contact, apiary visit, perception, credit, were positively and significantly influencing adoption of modern bee hive, whereas age, sex, family size, land holding, livestock holding, market availability, honey bee pests, and availability of accessories were not significantly influencing adoption of modern bee hive. The modern beehive has a production potential of20-30kg per colony of honey while the traditional beehive produce5-10kg per colony of honey. Though different organizations strive to disseminate modern beehive, the adopters are not comparable with efforts have been excreted, and this might have different reasons such as institutional, socioeconomic and biophysical. Such information’s might be different from according the circumstances in which the farmers are living and working, and still no information has been generated on socioeconomic, institutional and biophysical determinants of adoption of modern beehives in Gambella. The overall finding of the study underlined the importance of institutional support in the areas of availing beekeeping accessories, bee forage and improving beekeepers perception on the technology to enhance adoption of modern bee hive technology. Therefore, agricultural policy and development interventions should be given emphasis to the improvement of such institutional support.