Determinants and intensity of adoption of improved Robusta coffee in Uganda

While many tropical countries have intensified plant breeding to foster productivity and economic transformation, farmers’ technology adoption is still dismal. Robusta coffee, Uganda’s top export crop, faces the same challenge, not yet conclusively addressed in scholarly literature. This study examined the intensity of adoption determinants of improved Robusta coffee using five waves of the Uganda National Panel Survey data and a random-effects Tobit model on an unbalanced pooled sample of 2037 household-wave observations from 192 unique coffee-growing households. The results indicate that male-headed households are significantly more likely to adopt. Residing in the Western region increases the probability of adoption, whereas residence in the Eastern region reduces adoption. Marital status was negatively associated with adoption. An increase in wage by one unit reduces adoption by 3.1% points, and an additional year of education reduces adoption by 0.87% points. Distance to the nearest murram road reduced the probability of adoption. Gender and residence in the West were positively associated with adoption likelihood and adoption intensity. On the other hand, residence in the East, marital status, and education negatively influenced adoption intensity. Policies should promote labour-saving innovations, gender inclusion, and infrastructure development.