The relationship between farmers’ perceived self – efficacy and adoption of improved cassava processing technology

Abstract

Hesitancy to adopt farming technologies has been reported from both developed and developing countries. Addressing low acceptance to adopt cassava  processing technology, previous works have placed less emphasis on cognitive variables in their conceptual models. This paper presents the study whose  general objective was to examine the relationship between perceived self-efficacy and adoption of improved cassava processing technology  among farmers. This was achieved through three specific objectives which were: first, to explore the association between farmers’ ability to deal with  difficulties and adoption of improved cassava processing technology; second, to explore the association between farmers’ ability to cope with difficulties  and adoption of improved cassava processing technology; and lastly, to predict adoption of improved cassava processing technology from perceived self- efficacy. A total of 360 respondents including 181 (50.3%) males and 179 (49.7%) females were purposively selected from Mara, Mwanza and Kagera  regions in Tanzania. A questionnaire with instruments measuring perceived self-efficacy (PSE) and adoption of improved cassava processing technology  was administered. The questionnaire was also comprised of other personal variables such as age, sex, education level, training on cassava processing  technology, participation in other economic activities and intention to adopt. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that attendance to training on  improved cassava processing technology, perceived ability to deal with difficulties and ability to cope with difficulties explained farmers’ involvement in  pre-processing technology. It was further found that training on improved cassava processing technology and perceived ability to deal with difficulties explained farmers’ involvement in processing tasks. Lastly, results indicate that only attendance to training on improved cassava processing technology  explained utilization of the processed cassava products. The paper discusses practical and theoretical implications of the findings and recommends that  farmers should be encouraged to attend in trainings related to farming technology to be introduced; and the technology exposure trainings should  contain topics that are capable of building farmers’ self-efficacy such as mastery experience, vicarious experience, psychosocial state, and social  persuasions.