Farmers’ adoption potential of improved banana production techniques in Malawi Wisdom Changadeya*

Bananas and plantains are important for food security and income, but they are beset with numerous abiotic and biotic challenges that drastically reduce yield. Consequently, a range of technologies have been developed to tackle the various constraints. This study was carried out to determine the adoption potential of improved banana cultivars by smallholder farmers in Malawi. The study was carried out in five major banana production districts of Mulanje, Thyolo, Nkhata Bay, Karonga and Chitipa. Structured questionnaires were administered to 118 farmers in order to obtain data on several variables including; education level, experience in banana farming, income from bananas, proportion of land given to bananas, names and number of cultivars grown, preferred cultivars, and willingness to adopt new cultivars. The results showed that the majority of farmers in the south, unlike in the north, are aware of and willing to adopt improved cultivars. Region, experience in banana farming and awareness of improved banana cultivars were significant predictors of adoption of modern banana cultivars (p≤ 0.05). The level of diversity of cultivars on the farm informed farmer’s cultivar preferences and socio-economic needs met by such diversity. It was also evident, that levels of acceptance of a new agricultural technology hinges on how far it addresses farmers’ agronomical problems and leads to increased production and profit.