ASSESSMENT OF CHALLENGES OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN ADOPTION OF METAL SILO TECHNOLOGY:

Abstract

This study attempted to assess the challenges of metal silo technology adoption in the Meru district in the Arusha region. The data were collected through questionaries in six wards that include Kikatiti, King’ori, Malula, Maroroni, Ngarananyuki and Maruvango. The data were analysed where descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used. On the other hand, for every additional credit facility, the odds of metal silo technology adoption decrease by 22.59%. This is due to post-harvest losses, and smallholder farmers might not be able to access credit. In addition to that, for every additional availability of extension officers, the odds of metal silo technology adoption increase by 47.99% as the extension officers can disseminate the information on new storage technologies quite easily. The study concluded that the adoption rate of the metal silo technology was quite low (44%). The study further concluded that metal silo technology had been perceived as the appropriate grain storage structure that can improve food security that increase the well-being of the farmers.