Socio-economic characteristics of sorghum and millet farmers in luanshya district of zambia: does improved seed matter?

This study uses data from a census of sorghum and/or millet growing households in two agricultural blocks of Luanshya Distict to compare socio-economic characteristics, perceptions and practices among adopters and non-adopters of improved cereal crop varieties. The results suggest that adopters of improved varieties of cereal crops are generally better off, more market oriented, and more likely to purchase their inputs. Therefore, interventions aimed at increasing use of improved technologies need to be cognizant of these inherent variations in farmer characteristics and behaviour as the responsiveness is also likely to vary.