Volume :

2

Issue :

2

Abstract :

This study identifies factors that influence farmer’s decision to adopt the structural conservation measures introduced to selected sites in the Dabe and Goro Kebeles, in Adama wereda, East Shewa. The study also examines farmer’s acceptance and adoption of structural conservation technologies that were implemented by the various projects. A total of 92 sample farmer’s were selected and data about farmer’s acceptance and adoption of conservation technologies were collected using a household survey, interviews, focus group discussions and field observations. The data was analyzed using frequency, descriptive and the chi-square statistics. The result indicates that the majority of respondents totally removed the previously installed conservation technologies. However, the majority of the farmer’s accepted that the newly introduced conservation technologies were effective combating soil erosion and improving land productivity. The factors discouraging the farmer’s from adopting the technologies were found to be labour shortage, difficult designs to implement, lack of adequate extension service, shortage of land, distance of cultivation fields, and source of income. The study emphasizes that many of these problems were related to a lack of farmer’s involvement in the conservation efforts and suggests that future SWC interventions should follow a real farmer participatory approach in the areas. In addition, farmer’s should have a greater awareness of the economic significance of soil erosion on their cultivated fields; they need training on the impacts of erosion and the conservation technologies available to control soil loss; and farmer’s with labour shortages need to be provided with support that enables them to retain their conservation technologies.