Table 2 Socio-demographics characteristics of surveyed farmers. (SE = Standard Error).

From: Characterization of rice farming systems, production constraints and determinants of adoption of improved varieties by smallholder farmers of the Republic of Benin

Characteristics

North (N = 227)

Centre (N = 53)

South (N = 138)

Study area (N = 418)

χ2-test

F-test

Sex (%)

Male

74.9

69.8

76.2

74.6

0.809 ns

–

Female

25.1

30.2

23.9

25.4

Education (%)

Illiterate

69.2

62.3

57.2

64.4

12.482 ns

–

Primary

20.1

24.5

19.6

20.5

Secondary

9.8

13.2

21

13.9

University

0.9

–

2.2

1.2

Age (years)

Mean ± SE

43.6 ± 0.8

43.1 ± 1.1

47.6 ± 1.8

43.9 ± 0.6

–

2.648 ns

Range

[18–85]

[25–78]

[18–76]

[18–85]

Household size (%)

Mean ± SE

9.5 ± 0.4

7.7 ± 0.4

7.5 ± 0.3

8.6 ± 0.2

–

6.009**

Range

[1–34]

[2–15]

[1–24]

[1–34]

Experience (years)

Mean ± SE

15.1 ± 0.8

15.1 ± 1.9

11.5 ± 0.3

13.9 ± 0.8

–

3.479**

Range

[1–66]

[1–37]

[1–60]

[1–66]

Cultivated area (ha)

Mean ± SE

0.9 ± 0.0

1.2 ± 0.2

1.6 ± 0.3

0.9 ± 0.0

–

27.581***

Range

[0.05–16]

[0.25–5]

[0.25–8]

[0.05–16]

Access to land (%)

Owner

78.6

71.7

60.9

71.8

–

–

Rental

20

28.3

23.9

22.4

Community

1.4

–

15.2

5.8

Total workforce (%)

Family

76.9

57.7

44.5

61.3

–

–

Paid worker

21.6

39.7

53.2

36.7

Community

1.5

2.6

2.3

2

Sources of income (%)

Agriculture

93.3

84.9

97.9

93.7

–

–

Trade

5.1

7.5

0.7

4.1

Transformation

–

5.7

0.7

0.9

Hairdresser

0.4

1.9

–

0.5

Welder

0.4

–

–

0.2

Pension

–

–

0.7

0.2

Carpenter

0.4

–

–

0.2

Blacksmith

0.4

–

–

0.2

Membership of a rice farmers association (%)

Yes

58.2

52.8

88.4

68.3

–

–

No

41.8

47.2

11.6

31.7

Agricultural equipment (%)

Tractors

3.1

–

–

1.7

–

–

Plough

21.2

–

–

11.5

Cattle

19.8

–

–

10.7

None

55.9

100

100

76.1

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