Factors affecting the adoption of fertilizers by rice farmers in Cote dIvoire

Abstract

This paper analyzed the factors that affect the adoption of chemical fertilizers by rice farmers in Côte d'lvoire using a Tobit model. The results show that the major factors that positively influence farmers' use of fertilizers in rice fields are cultivation of lowlands, use of mechanization, farm size, land pressure and availability of non-farm income. Factors found to negatively affect the use of fertilizer in rice fields are the distance of the field to the village, distance of the village to the major market, and if the cultivator is a female. The paper concludes with strategies for targeting soil fertility interventions on farmers' rice fields.