Vol. 2010 No. 1 (2010)
Adoption Patterns of Climate Resilient Vegetables among Smallholder Farmers in Central Sudan: Seed Variety Acceptance and Yield Gains
Abstract
Climate change poses significant challenges to agriculture in Central Sudan, where smallholder farmers face increased variability in rainfall and temperature patterns. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including surveys and focus group discussions with a sample size of 150 farmers. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Seed variety acceptance showed a preference for climate-resilient varieties over conventional ones by 60%, with significant yield gains ranging from 20% to 30%. Climate-resilient vegetable seed varieties are being widely adopted by smallholder farmers in Central Sudan, leading to substantial yield improvements. Policy makers should promote the diffusion of climate-resilient seeds and provide training on their use and maintenance. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.
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