Abstract:
The willingness of farmers to pay for improved teff seed has positive
effects on utilization of improved teff which increases agricultural production,
productivity rural household income. However, the extent to which the willingness
of teff producers to pay for improved teff seed was not studied in the study area.
Hence, the primary goal of the study was to examine the willingness to pay for
improved teff seed in Yilmana-Dinsa woreda, West Gojjam Zone. To collect quanti-
tative and qualitative data, both primary and secondary sources were employed
from 121 sampled respondents. The data were examined using expressive and
inferential (t-test and chi-square test) statistics and econometric model (bivariate
probit). The result showed that 79.3% of sampled farmers were willing to pay the
seed and the value of mean willingness to pay from both double bounded dichot-
omous choice and open-ended questions was 26.89 and 32.67 birr per kilogram,
respectively. The results of the bivariate probit model showed that sex, education
level, extension contact, on-farm income, and credit have taken have a positive and
significant effect, while off-farm income and initial starting bed have a negative and
significant effect on the willingness of farmers to pay improved teff seed. Based on
the findings government and other stakeholders need to focus on strengtheningimproved seed access through organized seed systems that comprehend all actors
and promising cultivars through a well-established national extension and credit
system to fill the current seed system gaps.
