Assessing prevalence of misperceptions in agricultural activities of smallholder farmers in Tanzania

Abstract

Misperceptions in agriculture are challenging the adoption of agricultural technologies in African developing countries. Incorrect beliefs such as agricultural inputs have effects on soil, crop yields and human health, have led some smallholder farmers conduct traditional agriculture, resulting in low yields, of poor quality. This research studied prevalence of misperceptions among smallholders in Tanzania when dealing with agricultural inputs (fertilizers, pesticides and seeds). To accomplish this, agricultural extension officers in research areas were interviewed to learn inaccurate beliefs held by farmers which were then validated by agricultural experts through semi-structured interview to identify misperceptions; identified misperceptions helped to design a questionnaire with TRUE and FALSE statements, rated on a 5-point Likert scale, which was administered to 431 smallholders in four districts in Tanzania. Descriptive statistics helped to learn prevalence of misperceptions, regression analysis determined association of predictors on misperceptions. Results revealed respondents were confident with inaccurate beliefs while dealing with agricultural inputs which confirmed prevalence of misperceptions among smallholder farmers in pursuit of agricultural activities. To help smallholders adopt agricultural technologies, agricultural extension systems need to minimize associated misperceptions and adopt strategies that can help farmers access correct agricultural information. The essence is to improve yields, efficiency and profitability in agricultural sector.