Determinants of adoption of agricultural extension package technologies by smallholder households on sorghum production: Case of Gemechis and Mieso districts of West Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

This study identified the socio-economic factors that significantly influence adoption of agricultural extension package technologies on sorghum crop production. Primary and secondary data were collected for the study. In the sampling procedure, multi stage sampling procedure was used. Data was analyzed using both descriptive statistics and econometric models. In econometric models Multivariate Probit (MVP) and Double Hurdle models were used.  Multivariate Probit output indicates that, the probability of the household to use inorganic fertilizer (NPS and Urea), organic fertilizer, crop protection chemicals and row planting were 43.43, 63.07, 12.51, and 25.04%, respectively. Multivariate Probit output also shows that, the joint probability of success and failure of using all agricultural extension package technologies were 3.18 and 24.81%, respectively. Multivariate Probit and Double Hurdle models result confirm that district, extension visit, livestock holding, perception of the expectation of the coming rainfall, total farm land and participation on agricultural training significantly affect adoption decision and intensity use of different agricultural extension package technologies.\r\n\r\n\tKey words: Household, agricultural extension package technology, Multivariate Probit model, Double Hurdle model.