Pattern and Determinants of Rice Combine Harvester Adoption in Isabela, Philippines

With the need to promote wider adoption of rice combine harvesters (RCH) in the Philippines, this study analyzed the adoption process and investigated the factors that influenced complete adoption of the technology. Data was gathered through survey of 230 rice farmers and supplemented by key informant interviews in 24 rice-producing municipalities of the province. Results showed that RCH was adopted by farmers with higher level of education, higher income, larger farm holdings and with irrigated farms situated in the lowlands. About 90 percent of rice farmers in the area are already using RCH and adoption was considered permanent since all adopters did not revert to traditional practice after initially using the technology. The remaining non-mechanized farms are the rain-fed areas with poor road access, terraced small plots and waterlogged farms that deter the use of heavy machines. The respondents cited reduction of harvesting-threshing time which averts the exposure of farmers to climate risks brought by tropical cyclones and reduction of harvesting-threshing costs and postproduction losses as primary reasons for adoption of RCH. Empirical estimates using Logistic Regression revealed that RCH adoption increases with farm size and educational attainment. Topography is also an important determinant of adoption as farms situated in the lowland are more likely to adopt RCH than in the upland areas. With these findings, it is recommended that drivers and barriers of RCH adoption RCH be considered in the technology promotion.