ADOPTION OF ZEBU HORN POWDERS AND IMPROVEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL YIELDS

Agronomiques

Given the importance of the choice of fertilizers in agriculture, a study on the use of zebu horn powders « Poudre de Cornes de Zébu »(PCZ) in agricultural production was carried out in the Amoron'i Mania Region of Madagascar. These powders come from the horn processing workshop. How can the use of zebu horn powder could be optimized to improve agricultural yields, given that farm productivity remains relatively low? To address this issue, the objective is to establish a typology of producers based on their use of zebu horn powder and to identify the key factors influencing its adoption. Two hypotheses emerge: The use of zebu horn powders gains ground in the study area, and farmers in the study area mainly adopt the mixing of zebu horn powders with other fertilizers. A systemic approach was employed to identify and rank the factors influencing PCZ adoption, based on a survey of 226 farmers. The results categorize producers into three groups: PCZ users, mixed users, and non-users. Several factors determine PCZ adoption, including sources of information provided by farmers, producers' experience, household head’s age and level of education, the crops chosen by farmers, land access and cultivated area, and ultimately, yield improvement. The use of PCZ varies from one farmer to another, either to enhance productivity or to protect the soil.

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