SOCIO- ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF SMALL HOLDER MAIZE FARMERS’ ADOPTION OF RECOMMENDED MAIZE PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES IN BAUCHI LGA

ABSTRACT This study investigated the socio-economic determinants influencing the adoption of recommended maize production technologies among smallholder farmers in Bauchi Local Government Area (LGA), Bauchi State, Nigeria. Using a survey research design, data were collected from 223 maize farmers across four purposively selected wards through structured questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods, including frequency distributions, percentages, mean scores, and Multivariate Probit Regression, were employed to analyze the data. The results revealed that maize farming in Bauchi LGA is predominantly practiced by middle-aged, male farmers with primary to secondary education, 11–15 years of farming experience, and small-to-medium farm sizes (1–4 hectares). The primary sources of agricultural information were fellow farmers (67.26%), family and friends (57.85%), and extension agents (54.26%), with emerging contributions from radio and the internet. Awareness was highest for organic manure use (72.65%), row planting (65.92%), and recommended fertilizer rates (63.23%), but lower for proper spacing (31.39%) and timely weeding (37.22%). Adoption rates were highest for recommended fertilizer rates (87.89%), improved maize varieties (77.13%), and row planting (75.34%), while timely weeding (56.50%) and proper spacing (67.26%) were less adopted. Farmers exhibited positive perceptions toward the technologies, with 94.62% agreeing on their profitability, though 86.1% noted high costs as a barrier. Multivariate Probit Regression identified education, farming experience, household labor, and income as significant positive determinants of adoption (p