Abstract:
Ethiopia is emerging as an important rice growing country in Horn of Africa.Cultivation of rice
in Ethiopia is generally a recent phenomenon it was started first at Fogera and Gambella Plains
in the early 1970’s, which is preceded by its utilization as a food crop.However, there are
several constraints which drastically affect rice production and technology adoption and also its
marketing system under smallholder farmer’s condition. The study was conducted in
libokemkemwereda, south Gondar Zone, Amhara National Regional State. This study aimed at
examiningFarmers’ Rice Production Technology Adoption Determinants and Its Marketing
Chainin the study area. Four rice producing kebeles (Shina, Banbiko, Gendawuha and Tezamba
kebeles)among the 14 rice producing kebeles were selected and atotal of 220 of households are
selected as a sample interviewied using structured and semi-structured questionnaire to
generate primary data. Descriptive statistics andbinary logit were employed to determine
factors of Farmers’ Adoption of Rice Production Technology and Marketing Chainin the study
area. A sum of twelve Explanatory variables for the binary logit model was used, out of which
six variables were found to significantly affect the adoption of rice production technology. These
areage of household head, family size, labor force participated, Educationalstatus of household
head, size of cultivated land and extension services. The S-C-P- (Structure Conduct and
performance) model reflects that the structure of rice marketing is imperfect market
(oligopsonistic), only few buyers governed the market. The Gross marketing margin indicated
that assemblers harvest the highest marketing margin as compare to other market participants
and farmers received below the total average share of the margin.The study recommends that
any effort in promoting improved rice production technology adoption should
considerthesocial, economic,institutionaland psychological characteristics for better adoption
of the technology. More over, farmers should use intensive farming by increasing productivity of
the land using improved verities, application of other alternative traction power(oxen, adopting
labor saving technology and management of seed rate (agronomic practices)during sowing.
Moreover, there is a need to consider gender differentials in rice production system. High
investment capital, and competition with unlicensed traders were the barrier in rice marketing.
Hence, facilitating loan (credit services), increasing the bargaining power farmers & licensing
illegal traders were the recommendation forwarded.
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