The main objective of this paper is to assess the drivers of adoption of certified rice seeds among farmers in Kilombero District of Tanzania and as well assess the factors that influences the intensity of adoption of certified rice seeds. The random sampling technique was used to collect data from 130 rice farmers through in-person interview. The data were analyzed using two econometric techniques. Firstly, a binary logit model was used to identify factors influencing adoption of certified rice seeds. Secondly, Tobit regression was used to analyze the determinants of the extent of adoption of certified rice seeds. Empirical findings of this study show that factors such as marital status, access to land, membership of farm association and income from off-farm activities, significantly influenced the adoption of certified rice seeds while the factors that significantly influenced the extent of adoption of certified rice seeds in the study area include education level of the farmers, marital status and the farmer’s access to land. From a policy perspective, this study recommends that farmers should be assisted to improve on these factors because adoption of certified rice seed varieties is important for increasing agricultural productivity.
Keywords: Adoption, Probit, Tanzania, certified rice seeds, logit
