Socio-economic Determinants of Smallholder Farmers' Adoption of New Tea Varieties in Rungwe District

Abstract

Despite the strategic importance of tea production in Tanzania, existing studies have inadequately addressed the socio-economic determinants influencing smallholder farmers’ adoption of new tea varieties in Rungwe District. This study investigates the key socio-economic factors driving adoption of clonal tea seed varieties among smallholder tea farmers in the region. Employing a cross-sectional research design and an exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach, the study sampled 267 smallholder tea farmers using simple random sampling to ensure unbiased representation. Qualitative data were analyzed through thematic content analysis with constant comparison to capture farmers’ perceptions and experiences regarding clonal tea varieties. Quantitative data were processed using IBM SPSS, with descriptive statistics used to summarize socio-economic characteristics, and binary logistic regression applied to model adoption behavior. Findings revealed that age, sex, household size, tea farming experience of the household head, and land size significantly influenced adoption of new tea seed varieties (p < 0.005), with corresponding Wald statistics of 19.368, 4.556, 9.740, 4.995, and 9.872 respectively. The study highlights notable variation in adoption patterns and production outcomes among smallholder farmers. It is recommended that the Rungwe District Council, Tea Board of Tanzania, and Tanzania Tea Research Institute intensify awareness campaigns and extension services on clonal tea varieties to enhance adoption and ensure the long-term sustainability of tea production in Rungwe District.