Download or read book An Analysis of Health Factors as Predictors of Agricultural Technology Adoption written by Alix Zerbo and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Agricultural technologies are considered as efficient instruments to support rural and economic development. In general, socio-economic factors are considered as the main determinants that delay or encourage the adoption of improved technologies. Other predictors such as health factors have rarely been included in studies as determinants of (non)adoption (Ersado et al 2004). As a result, this study attempts to determine whether or not health factors (farmers' health status and accessibility to healthcare services) negatively and significantly influence the adoption of improved agricultural technologies. A Tobit model and a bivariate probit model were designed to evaluate the hypothesis that health factors significantly and negatively impact the adoption of improved maize seeds and inorganic fertilizers in Malawi (Southern Africa). The study uses data from the 2010-2011 Malawi Third Integrated Household Survey (Malawi 2010-2011 IHS3). Overall, findings from this analysis support the hypothesis that longer distances to places were farmers can buy medication negatively and significantly impact the adoption of improved technologies; especially in the case of inorganic fertilizers. The results, however, do not indicate that chronic sickness significantly impact adoption behavior; although the impact is negative. Additionally, the results suggest that socio-economic factors that significantly influence the adoption of hybrid maize seeds and inorganic fertilizers include: education, plot ownership, hired labor, and the price of chemical fertilizers. These results, in part, support policies designed to improve healthcare systems and strengthen collaborative work between the health and agricultural sectors. " --