INCENTIVIZING THE ADOPTION OF BIOFORTIFIED RICE FOR INCREASING FARMERS' PRODUCTIVITY AND INCOME DURING COVID19 ERA: EVIDENCE FROM SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN NIGERIA

This research examined the challenges and factors affecting the behaviours of rice farmers towards adopting the bio-fortified rice technology in the Covid-19 pandemic era. The trust of the paper rests on despite the awareness and support to farmers to adopt the new bio-fortified rice technology and the importance of technology in farmers' welfare; the acceptance has been low and slow. More importantly, research in this area has neglected the factors influencing the adoption of biofortified rice and its impact on the production and income of the farmers in Nigeria during the pandemic era. This study used a multi-stage sampling procedure to select 540 (200 non-adopters and 340 adopters) rice, farmers. Data were collected using computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI) and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. The major result shows that the socioeconomic profiles of the adopters were better than the non-adopters. The decision by the farming households to adopt biofortified rice was significantly influenced by the household's income level, extension agent contact, credit, association with cooperatives and availability of information. In addition, adopting biofortified rice increased the adopters' income across all categories of inc12ome considered. The rice farmers faced general and specific Covid-19 challenges that constrained them from adopting the technology. It was recommended, among others, that emergency agencies whose duties are to mitigate the effects of a pandemic-related crisis should have offices in the rural areas to have close contact with the information needs of the rural farmers in times of emergency.