A Review on Factors Affecting Technology Adoption in Agricultural Sector

Purpose: Adoption of new technology in the agricultural sector is low. This is similar to the condition in many other sectors as well. Many studies have been conducted to find out reasons for this issue. While some studies have identified similar factors affecting the decision to adopt a technology, some studies revealed factors which were uniqe to their study. Therefore, identification and compilation of these factors will support future studies and researchers.

Research Method: An analysis of literature on technology adoption was conducted. Literature originated from numerous sources spanning almost 50 years were taken for the study. The factors identified by different studies were then compiled for this review paper.

Findings: The factors identified can be mainly categorized into three; (1) factors related to the user, such as farm size, income, prior experience, gender, education level, and age; (2) factors related to the technology, such as affordability, availability, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability; (3) institutional factors, such as access to extension services, inputs, markets and credit facilities. The review findings reveal that adoption is a collective and interactive effect of some or all factors. Thus, identification of priority factors and a holistic approach need to be considered to ensure greater adoption.

Originality/ Value: This compilation will support practitioners in technology dissemination for proper identification of factors affecting technology adoption, and future research on technology adoption and  diffusion