Analysing brand awareness pertaining to seed adoption by small-scale farmers

Abstract

Small scale farmers play a significant role in food and nutrition security issues worldwide. For profit and non-profit making organizations aim to improve agricultural technology adoption. The main objective of the study was to assess brand awareness impact on adoption of hybrid seed maize technology by small scale farmers. This was a cross sectional study design with systematic sampling on small scale maize farmers (target population). A total of 370 interviews were done from 13th to 27th September 2016 using a self-administered structured questionnaire. The dimensions measured were customer expectations, product quality, also quality of service, perceived value, satisfaction, complaints recovery, loyalty, and awareness and adoption behaviour. All of the dimensions were measured with at least three items. The items were measured on a 5 point Likert scale, ranging from Bad (1) - Good (5). Statistical analysis encompassed factor analysis and structural modelling. Although not all, most proposed networks of relationships as hypothesized was supported with data; overall, there was a statistically significant (p<0.001) relationship between brand awareness and maize seed hybrid technology adoption. Southern African countries have the potential to benefit from hybrid maize seed adoption by developing strategies that prioritize improving the quality of seed. Quality of seed was the major alarming negative and positive predictor of seed technology adoption among small scale maize farmers. On the contrary, among Mozambicans, recovery of lost value through supplier on any reported issues stands out as a negative predictor of low adoption. Several mediating factors differ in significance of their effects by country. For Zimbabwe Perception, satisfaction levels had significant effect on hybrid maize seed technology adoption whilst the same were not significant in Mozambique. Thus different countries behave differently in terms of adoption behaviour. Therefore, technology adoption strategies have got to be country specific