DETERMINANTS OF ADOPTION OF FARO-44 RICE ON THE LIVELIHOOD OF RICE FARMERS' IN SABON-GARI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA.

This study assessed the determinants of adoption of faro-44 rice on the livelihood of rice 
farmers’ in Sabon-Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study area was 
purposively selected due to its prominence in rice production and their subsequent adoption of 
the improved variety. Multistage sampling technique was used to select one hundred and six 
(106) rice farmers from four villages across two major wards with high rice production 
intensity. The theoretical frame-work upon which the work was hinged is the theory of adoption 
of innovation. Data was collected using structured questionnaire and was analyzed using both 
descriptive and inferential statistics, including logistic regression, Pearson correlation, and 
paired t-tests. Results revealed that the mean age of respondents was between 41–50 years, with 
98.1% being male and 90.7% married. The mean farm size was 2.78 hectares, and 48.6% of the 
respondents had tertiary education. Logistic regression showed the following as the major 
determinants of adoption: Education, access to credit, marital status, and off-farm occupation 
were statistically significant factors influencing adoption. Education was found to have a strong 
and positive influence, with a coefficient of 0.107 and a p-value of 0.000. Access to credit also 
had a significant positive effect (coefficient = 0.032, p = 0.001), Marital status showed a 
statistically significant negative relationship with adoption (p = 0.012), possibly due to 
household responsibilities or financial burden limiting the capacity of married farmers to take 
risks associated with new technologies. Off-farm occupation had a large negative coefficient (
0.940) and was also highly significant (p = 0.000), this implies that the more the respondents 
engage in off-farm activities the less the time, energy and resources for agricultural activities 
which entails adoption of Faro-44 and that it is highly significant means that off-farm activities 
is very strategic to adoption as it can greatly affect adoption of faro-Faro-44 negatively and 
positively.