Abstract:
The research examines the status of adoption of improved tobacco recommended varieties among smallholder farmers
with a view to assess the impact of tobacco production on household income in the region. A survey approach was used to collect
data from a sample of 160 tobacco farmers who were randomly selected. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression model were
used to analyze the data. Results show that farmers have responded appreciably to intervention programme that promote the use of
the tobacco recommended varieties with an adoption rate of 61.6%. Information flow from various tobacco companies was the
significant factor influencing the decision of farmers to adopt the tobacco recommended varieties. Constraints in the adoption noted
include poor germination of seeds, high demand of inputs, unreliable availability of seeds and inadequate knowledge on tobacco
production. The mean household income from tobacco production (4,232,415 Tshs) was significantly higher than the mean income of
other income sources cumulatively (211,333 Tshs) with an income advantage of 4,021,082 Tshs. The study concludes that farmers
are responding appreciably to intervention programmes that promote the use of tobacco recommended varieties in the region. Also
tobacco sub-sector has higher contribution on household total income as compared to other enterprises.
