Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between the financial factors and the adoption of improved maize in Iganga district, Uganda. A conceptual framework was developed using the Independent and Dependent variables. The objectives of the study were to identify the maize technologies, establish the level of perceived financial factors that influence the farmer’s decision to adopt these technologies and to establish the relationship between financial factors and farmer’s adoption of maize technologies that have been developed and disseminated by the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) in Iganga district, Uganda. The researcher used a cross sectional survey design. 88 respondents were selected using purposive sampling composed of adopters and non-adopters of the maize technologies in the area under study. The study revealed that when the actual costs of inputs are low, farmers are likely to adopt the improved maize than when the cost is high. It was also revealed that when fanners perceive that there is a net profit in the sale of improved maize produce, they are likely to adopt than when they don’t expect profit. The study further revealed that when farmers have access to credit facilities to support their financial requirements, they are likely to adopt the maize technologies than when they have no access to credit facilities. It was also revealed that when a farmer perceives that there is access to market for the maize outputs s(he) is likely to adopt the maize technologies because s(he) will be sure of a return on sale and the reverse is true. Maize crop is an important cash and subsistence crop in Uganda and therefore the study recommends that the government needs to coordinate the implementation of the National Agricultural research Policy (2003) objectives that are geared towards addressing the needs and opportunities of the poor in the market driven environment.