Determinants of Smallholder African Indigenous Leafy Vegetables Farmers’ Market Participation Behaviour in Nyamira County, Kenya

Participation in commercial agriculture holds key prospects for unravelling pertinent opportunities necessary for providing better incomes and sustainable livelihoods for small-scale farmers. Therefore, market participation has the potential to increase farmers’ rural incomes and employment opportunities, especially if farmers concentrate on production and marketing of indigenous crops requiring low inputs such as African indigenous leafy vegetables (AILV). This study examined factors that influenced smallholders’ market participation behaviour. Data was obtained through a household survey using structured questionnaires administered to 254 respondents picked for the study through a multistage sampling procedure. An ordered probit model was used to determine factors influencing smallholders’ market participation as either net buyers, net sellers or autarchies. Findings revealed that marketing experience, land ownership, households’ food self-sufficiency, contractual marketing, access to credit and extension services significantly influenced the regimes in which smallholders participated in markets. It is not enough that farmers merely participated in markets, rather they should participate in markets profitably as net sellers. Identifying the specific challenges and requirements that are unique for each market regime (net sellers, autarkic and net buyers) through proper targeting and screening of farmers is necessary. Here, equipping extension workers with the ability to address the specific needs of each group is recommended. Further, the study advocates for group marketing to increase farmers’ bargaining power during negotiations, in addition to reducing transportation costs by transporting produce in groups. Improving the state of the roads linking producers to markets is also important in reducing the cost of transporting produce, as well as the cost of searching for markets. Keywords: Autarkic, Net buyer, Net seller, Ordered Probit, Smallholder, Nyamira, Keny

Determinants of Women Access and the Extent of Access to Land Among Small-Scale Farmers in Machakos County, Kenya: A Double-Hurdle Approach

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the determinants of women access and the extent of access to land. The study used cross-sectional data from 384 randomly selected small-scale women farmers from Machakos County, Kenya. Using double hurdle (DH) model, we found that marital status, household size, the value of productive assets, credit borrowed, extension contacts, farmers’ groups and social influence from family members had a positive and significant influence on women access to land. However, the spousal age gap, market distance and social influence from friends/peers had a negative influence on the probability of women having access to land. To improve women access to land, the findings imply that women need to be motivated to join and participate in farmers’ groups through which they can gain access to extension information and credit. In addition, women farmers should be sensitized on the need to invest in farm productive assets. Importantly, the government can aid in improving crucial infrastructures and promoting girl-child education since education empowers women and inhibit early marriages. Keywords: Women, small-scale farmers, access to land, double hurdle model, Kenya DOI: 10.7176/JESD/10-7-04 Publication date: April 30th 201

A Gendered Analysis of Perceived Risks of Commercial Oriented Smallholder Vegetable Farmers in Kilifi County, Kenya

This paper examines the relationship between gender and perceived risks of commercial oriented smallholder farmers in Kilifi County. A sample of 332 smallholder vegetable farmers was selected from the study area. A 5-point Likert scale and factor analysis approaches were used to rank and analyze risks encountered by farmers. Thereafter, a chi-square test was used to evaluate the mean scores of risks across gender. Gender was categorized – based on who manages the vegetable farms – into male managed (37%), female managed (24%) and joint-management (39%). Results from the study show that marketing risks are more frequent for male farmers while the joint-management group mostly experience financial risks. Additionally, severity of financial risks is greater for male farmers as compared to female farmers. The study concludes that female farmers were not prone to financial and marketing risks which implied that financial availability and marketing opportunities are still scarce to empower women in the vegetable sector. The study recommends implementation of policies that will help in minimizing the gravity of financial risks that affect both male and female farmers. Policies that are tailor-made to address gender specific financial constraints, more so in the informal sector, should be implemented in order to promote access to affordable financial support. Additionally, female empowerment programs should be implemented in order to increase their participation in domestic and high value markets. Keywords: Risk, vegetables, gender, smallholder, factor analysis, Kenya DOI: 10.7176/JESD/10-14-16 Publication date:July 31st 201

Land Use Change and Determinants of Agricultural Land Conversion Due to Urbanization: Case of Smallholder Farmers in Njoro Sub-County, Kenya

Urbanization process stands out amongst the most imperative drivers of financial, physical and societal change. However, the drivers of agricultural land conversion due to urbanization in Africa specifically, Njoro Sub-County in Kenya are still not clear. This paper looks at the factors impacting decision to convert land used for agricultural purposes and the degree of conversion to non-agricultural purposes. Data for this study was collected from 384 randomly selected smallholder farmers, by the use of semi-structured questionnaires and key witness interviews. The study employed Craggit (Double-Hurdle Model) to examine the drivers of conversion and analyze the amount of land converted. The results from the study show that decision to convert and extent of land conversion were influenced by; age, gender, education, productive farm assets, distance to town, tenure system, risk attitude, soil fertility and land rented out. The study concluded that despite the threat urbanization has on food security, much of peri-urban agricultural land is still being converted to non-agrarian purposes. This study recommends coherent policies that take into account farmer socio-economic and bio-physical characteristics that could stimulate behavioral change towards land conversion. This could be complemented by adopting strategies that align all shareholders from different segments of the economy, provide secure rights to land and incentivize solutions for sustainable agriculture by making agribusiness more competitive. Keywords: Drivers, urbanization, agricultural land conversion, smallholder, Craggit mode

An Analysis of Economic Efficiency in Bean Production: Evidence from Eastern Uganda

Bean has emerged to be an important cash crop as well as a staple food in Uganda; however, the country’s bean productivity per unit area cultivated has been on the decline for the past ten years. This study estimated the economic efficiency levels and assessed the factors influencing economic efficiency among bean farmers in Eastern Uganda, by applying a stochastic frontier cost function and a two-limit Tobit regression model, based on a random sample of 580 households. Findings revealed that the mean economic efficiency level was 59.94% and it was positively influenced by value of assets, off-farm income, credit and farmers’ primary occupation. Based on the findings from this study, there is need for government and stakeholders to train farmers on entrepreneurial skills so that they can divest their farm profits into more income generating activities which would harness more farming capital. Finally, there is a need for initiatives geared towards enhancing farmers’ access to adequate credit for farming at affordable interest rates and using groups as collateral, so that they could invest more in farming to increase their economic efficiency and farm productivity. Key words: stochastic frontier approach, smallholder farmers, Tobit regression mode

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) of A Holistic Extension Programme: Case Study of Farm Attachment Programme in Kenya

This paper examines the perceptions of farmers towards a student-farmer centered extension arrangement called the Farm Attachment Programme (FAP). Despite the pertinence of Agriculture to the economy, its potential has not been realized. To address this shortfall, research and training institutions have designed and generated knowledge and technologies. However, the innovations generated have hardly reached the end users. In response, Egerton University established Farm Attachment Programme (FAP) to innovatively engage small-scale farmers in 2014. As a result, the study sought to determine the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOTs) of the farm attachment program. A census survey of 100 farmers that had been engaged in FAP in Nakuru and Baringo Counties in Kenya was conducted using semi - structured questionnaires. The study employed a Confirmatory Factor Analysis(CFA) model to examine how the farmers felt about the programme in terms of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. From the SWOT analysis, higher factor loadings of 0.763 on Factor 2 indicated that increased technology awareness and access among farmers was the main strength of FAP while 0.686 on Factor 1 indicated that increase in farmer linkage was the main opportunity. On the other hand, loadings of 0.830 and 0.760 on factor 3 and 4 indicated that short attachment duration and high costs of student accommodation were the main weakness and threat of FAP respectively. The study recommends for a review of the attachment duration to at least twelve or more weeks to ensure successful implementation of the interventions introduced by the students. Based on the strengths and opportunities presented by the FAP, the study further recommends that the programme should be expanded to other counties. Keywords: Farm attachment programme: Agricultural productivity: SWOT analysis: Confirmatory Factor Analysis. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-30-12 Publication date:October 31st 201

Analysis of the Marketing Behaviour of African Indigenous Leafy Vegetables among Smallholder Farmers in Nyamira County, Kenya.

The African Indigenous Leafy Vegetables (AILV) agricultural sub-sector in Kenya has in recent times gained considerable prominence and attention. A diverse number of studies have underpinned the role it can play in improving the economic standing of smallholders, while playing an imperative nutritional role in the diets of many consumers. Stemming from increased awareness on the rise of various lifestyle illnesses and crusaders championing for healthy eating habits, the demand of AILV, as healthier dietary alternatives, has been gradually on the rise. However, the socioeconomic and institutional factors that influence market participation and the effect of choice of market packages on AILV income are still not clear. Therefore, the main objectives of the study were: to characterize the socio-economic attributes of AILV farmers; to determine factors influencing households’ market participation behaviour; and to identify the combination of market outlets that deliver the highest payoffs (income) to farmers. The study was based on data collected from a sample of 254 households drawn from Nyamira North Sub-County in Nyamira County. A multistage sampling procedure was used to arrive at the sample, with semi structured questionnaires employed as the research instrument to collect qualitative and quantitative data through face to face interviews. The determinants of market participation behaviour among smallholders was estimated by an ordered probit model, while the combination of market outlets that delivered the highest payoffs (income) to farmers employed a multinomial endogenous switching regression. SPSS and STATA software were used for data analysis and management. Findings revealed that marketing experience, land ownership, households’ food self-sufficiency, contractual marketing, access to credit and extension services significantly influenced the regimes in which smallholders participated in markets. Further, using market packages that contained urban market outlets led to higher incomes among smallholders. It is not enough that farmers merely participated in markets, rather they should participate in markets profitably as net sellers. Identifying the specific challenges and requirements that are unique for each market regime (net sellers, autarkic and net buyers) through proper targeting and screening of farmers is necessary. Here, equipping extension workers with the ability to address the specific needs of each group is recommended. Urban markets, in isolation as well as in market packages, were clearly shown to offer higher incomes in actual and counterfactual scenarios. Improving the condition of roads linking urban markets to producers could potentially reduce transportation costs of accessing such urban markets. This could go on to encourage the use of urban markets among farmers, who stand to gain better income and gradually fish themselves out of poverty traps

Consumer’s choice of retail outlets for African indigenous vegetables: Empirical evidence among rural and urban households in Kenya

This study evaluated socio-economic, institutional and product characteristics that influence the choice for African indigenous vegetable (AIV) retail outlets among rural and urban households in Kenya. Multistage sampling technique was used to select a sample of 450 respondents from four counties in Kenya. Data was collected using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire and a multinomial Probit model was used in the analysis. Findings revealed that local open air markets and green groceries were the most preferred retail outlets in rural and urban households, respectively. Additionally, gender, age and education level of the key decision-maker, household size, varietal diversity, vegetable bunch size, market distance and perceptions regarding AIV retail prices significantly influenced the choice for AIV retail outlets. Interventions that would standardize the quantity of vegetables sold per bunch in both supermarkets and green groceries and a further development of more green grocery retail outlets can increase their preference in urban households. Moreover, strategies that would expand farm gate varietal diversity and reinforce hygiene standards in local open air outlets can enhance their preference in rural households

Consumer's choice of retail outlets for African indigenous vegetables: Empirical evidence among rural and urban households in Kenya ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Abstract: This study evaluated socio-economic, institutional and product characteristics that influence the choice for African indigenous vegetable (AIV) retail outlets among rural and urban households in Kenya. Multistage sampling technique was used to select a sample of 450 respondents from four counties in Kenya. Data was collected using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire and a multinomial Probit model was used in the analysis. Findings revealed that local open air markets and green groceries were the most preferred retail outlets in rural and urban households, respectively. Additionally, gender, age and education level of the key decision-maker, household size, varietal diversity, vegetable bunch size, market distance and perceptions regarding AIV retail prices significantly influenced the choice for AIV retail outlets. Interventions that would standardize the quantity of vegetables sold per bunch in both supermarkets and green groceries and a further development of more green grocery retail outlets can increase their preference in urban households. Moreover, strategies that would expand farm gate varietal diversity and reinforce hygiene standards in local open air outlets can enhance their preference in rural households