Resource Use Efficiency in Poultry Production in Bureti District, Kenya

Poultry production is one of the most important economic activities to the smallholder farmers of Kenya. However, constraints are evident which have resulted in low production of poultry and poultry products to meet population demand and for socio-economic sustainability of the livelihoods. The objective of the study was to determine resource use efficiency, optimal production levels, production systems of small-scale poultry farmers in Bureti district, Kenya. Primary data were obtained using a set of structured questionnaires from 300 representative farmers drawn from the study area using cross-sectional sampling techniques. Data were analyzed by Cobb-Douglas production function. The results showed that the resources used in poultry production were underutilized while others were over utilized. The efficiency indicators for poultry feeds (0.0603) showed that poultry feeds were inefficiently used. Labour efficiency indicator (-0.091) showed that farmers were not only grossly inefficient in the use of the resource but also over utilized it while the efficiency indicator (60.86) for poultry equipment implied the resource was inefficiently utilized. It is recommended that farmers should use inputs more efficiently (particularly feeds which were being inefficiently utilized) by reducing their levels of employment.Economic Efficiency, Resource Use Efficiency, Small-Holder Poultry Farmers, Kenya, Livestock Production/Industries,

PASTORALISTS NON‐RESPONSIVENESS TO LIVESTOCK MARKETS IN EAST POKOT, KENYA

One of the major challenges facing the state‐owned Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) in Kenya has been the inadequate supply of quality live animals for meat processing. It has been observed that the live animal throughput is inadequate and, as a result the existing meat processing facilities operate at less than 50% of their operational capacities. This has increased the fixed costs of operation thereby decreasing the export abattoirs competitiveness in the domestic and export markets. Overcoming the constraint of supply shortage of quality live animals requires, among other things, understanding the livestock producers’ marketing behaviour. This study was conducted with the main objective to assess the determinants of market off‐take rates for cattle and shoats in the pastoral areas of East Pokot District, Kenya. The multinomial logit model was used for econometric analyses using both primary and secondary data obtained from different sources covering the pastoral areas of Kenya. It was observed that in general, many pastoralists do not participate in the livestock market. Furthermore, for those pastoralists who participate in the market, the size of transaction (sale or purchase of cattle or shoats) was found to be very small. The implication of limited market participation is that under the production and marketing conditions, livestock production systems do not provide regular and adequate market supply of quality live animals at competitive prices, which adversely affect the efficient utilization of meat processing capacity and hence their competitiveness in the domestic and export markets.pastoralists, livestock markets, market participation, east Pokot, Kenya, Farm Management, Livestock Production/Industries,

Dairy Cattle Productivity after the Post Election Crisis in Uasin Gishu District of Kenya

The dairy sub sector is one of the most important of the agricultural sub sectors in Kenya, contributing to 5% of Kenya’s GDP. The estimated annual consumption of milk stands at 3.1 billion litres. Although there was a steady agricultural growth to about 6% between 2003 and 2007, other emerging challenges as high production costs have emerged. These were compounded by the post election crisis (PEC) after the disputed Presidential elections which saw the looting of property including livestock, leading to a decline in the sector. The objective of the study was to determine the dairy productivity after the PEC. The survey was done in four designated project areas namely, Turbo, Kapseret, Kessess and Ainabkoi. Primary data was collected by use of structured questionnaires from 194 systematically selected farmers. The data was then analyzed by use of the SPSS. The results show that 67.53% of the farmers had lactating cows; the average number being 1.2 cows. The numbers of all the livestock categories (lactating, dry, bulls and steers, and calves) reduced after the PEC. Despite a higher mean production of 10.67 lts/day for pure breeds, this was not significantly different from the average production of 7.38 lts/day among the crosses. This implied that the milk production potential of pure bred dairy cattle was yet to be exploited. It is recommended that development agencies focus on all production and management initiatives to enable farmers exploit existing potential.Dairy productivity, Uasin Gishu, Kenya, Livestock Production/Industries,

Satisfaction Rating of Coordination Mechanisms by Dairy Producers around Community Milk Cooling Plants in Western Kenya

A number of studies have used value chains approach to look at critical constraints that limit the growth of milk production and marketing. However, existing literature is limited on case studies that have first considered establishing the satisfaction levels of support services provision to individual producer households so as to inform accurate constraints identification for sustainable policy and technical intervention. This study undertook to identify and analyze coordination mechanisms that had been developed to support producer households around community milk cooling plants using factor analysis approach. Primary data from 273 households selected through simple random sampling method was collected using a semi structured interview schedule. From the results,  the overall satisfaction mean score  rating was 5.4 with feeds provision and clinical services had the highest satisfaction mean scores respectively. From factor analysis, three factors were generated, and were named as support for training, support for inputs and support for marketing respectively. Cronbach’s α test results confirmed reliability for support for input and training factors. It was concluded that though efforts had been made to provide support services to producers, service provision was inefficient and uptake still low in some services. It is recommended that in order to enhance the proportion of milk that entered the community milk cooling plants, pricing policies based on grade of milk should be put in place so as to attract more producers to join and supply regularly to the cooling plant at premium prices and also to make the producers benefit from the services being offered Key words: Community Milk Cooling Plant, Factor Analysis, Producers, Support Services

Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Farm Forestry Investment Decisions in Kenya: The Case of Uasin Gishu and Vihiga Counties

In Kenya, traditional farm landscapes are an overlay agricultural crops livestock and various farm forest formations. Tree growing in agricultural landscapes in the country has a long history. However the intensity has developed over the last 100 years across the country at varying pace and configurations depending on various factors largely driven by demand and supply conditions. Therefore the study was premised on the fact that household land is allocated to tree growing based on the household subsistence needs and extra to satisfy market demands. The study to evaluate the socioeconomic factors that influenced adoption farm forestry by households in two counties in high potential agricultural areas of western Kenya was undertaken in 2015. The two counties were selected for the study differed in various attributes such as settlement history, agricultural land use, farm forestry development and demographic characteristics. Uasin Gishu represents the recently settled former European settler farms and Vihiga represents the former African Reserves settled hundreds of years ago. The study used integrated land use decision making concept to underpin the household production function.  The survey involved 260 households that were systematically sampled with questionnaires being administered randomly to households in locations within selected sub counties. The main data extracted from the questionnaire were household land sizes, age of household head, educational levels of household head, cultural factors, farm forest incomes, distance to forest product markets, farm employees, settlement years, household sizes and crop incomes.  Data was analysed by use of OLS regression models to generate key farm forestry decision making variables.  The results show that the most stable and significant explanatory variables were land size, farm forestry incomes and off-farm incomes. This shows that they were the most important variables in farm forestry land use decisions in western Kenya.  The study also revealed that the two counties were significantly different in their farm forestry activities with Vihiga being more intensive as compared to Uasin Gishu.  Farm forestry incomes proved to be an importance driving force in scaling up tree growing on individual farms hence indicating the importance of economic objectives on household land use decision making. Farm forest income was stronger in areas where markets and marketing infrastructure were better developed. The study provides some factors that policy makers need to consider in order to positively influence farm forest development in Kenya and other developing countries. Keywords: Farm forestry, Land use, farm incomes, household decision makin

The Level Of Corporate Dividend Payout To Stockholders: Does Optimal Dividend Policy Exist For Firms Quoted At The Nairobi Stock Exchange?

The objective of this study was to determine the level of corporate dividend payout to stockholders and establish if the optimal dividend policy exists for the firms quoted at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE).  An analysis was done for the all the 43 firms trading in the main investment market at the Nairobi Stock Exchange.  Secondary data was obtained from the Nairobi Stock Exchange library, Internet & company libraries. Companies that were quoted at the stock exchange for a period of thirteen years and paid and/or did not pay dividends during that period were sampled. According to the findings of this study, the aggregate dividend payout ratio for the Kenyan market was obtained to be 44.14% for the period between 1991- 2003. The findings of this research suggest that the average corporate dividend payout to stockholders for 40% of the firms is low and stable and that 28% of the firms quoted paid out high and stable dividends. It was also observed that most of the firms that paid high and stable dividends are the blue chip firms, which are the main movers of trading at the NSE. The dividend model provides a summary of the factors that influenced and continue to influence the dividend decisions for this market including and not limited to the tax systems, clientele preferences, signaling, sustainability, low liquidity, high growth, ownership control and dividends as residual etc. From the model it is possible to predict the likely dividend decisions of the firms in future

Socio-Economic and Institutional Constraints to Accessing Credit among Smallholder Farmers in Nyandarua District, Kenya

Amongst the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in production is inaccessibility to credit. This study sought to identify household socio-economic and institutional constraints influencing access to credit among smallholder farmers in Nyandarua District. The study used a Logit model. Both quantitative and qualitative data were acquired from primary and secondary sources. Primary data was collected using questionnaires through a survey design. A sample of 164 smallholder farmers was selected using stratified, multi-stage random sampling techniques. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and maximum likelihood method using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study established that socio-economic constraints such as age, gender, household size, farm income, collateral and awareness are critical determinants of access to credit. The study also established that institutional requirements such as costs involved in operating / maintaining bank accounts, loan requirements and transaction costs involved in the credit process influenced access to credit. The study concludes that household socio-economic characteristics and institutional requirements influence access to credit. Key recommendations made include the need by government to deal with bureaucracies involved in land registration to benefit majority of smallholder farmers who remain insecure in the land they use without proof of ownership and also to make easier the registration of lease certificates for those who do not own land and use land on leasehold tenure system. Financial institutions should also put in place less stringent credit requirements and reduce credit costs especially interest rates to make credit more affordable. Keywords: socio-economic and institutional constraints, credit access, smallholder farmers, logit model

Assessment of Farmers’ Adaptation to the Effects of Climate Change in Kenya: the Case of Kyuso District

The study was carried out to assess how farmers in Kyuso District have adapted to the effects of climate change. Survey data was collected from 246 farmers from six locations that were sampled out through a multistage and simple random sampling procedure. The probit regression model was fitted into the data in order to assess factors influencing farmers’ adaptation to the effects of climate change. The analysis revealed that 85% of the farmers had adapted in various ways to the effects of climate change. In this regard, the age of the farmer, gender, education, farming experience, farm income, access to climate information, household size, local agro-ecology, distance to input/output market, access to credit, access to water for irrigation, precipitation and temperature were found to have significant influence on the probability of farmers to adapt to climate change. The study suggests that more policy efforts should thus be geared towards helping all the farmers in the district to adapt to climate change. Key words: climate change, adaptation, probit regression model, Kyuso District

Analysis of Farmers’ Perceptions of the Effects of Climate Change in Kenya: the Case of Kyuso District

A cross-sectional analysis was carried out to evaluate how farmers in Kyuso District have perceived climate change. Data was collected from 246 farmers from six locations sampled out through a multistage and simple random sampling procedure. The logistic regression analysis was carried out to assess factors influencing farmers’ perceptions of climate change. The analysis revealed that 94% of farmers in Kyuso District had a perception that climate was changing.  In this regard, age of the household head, gender, education, farming experience, household size, distance to the nearest input/output market, access to irrigation water, local agro-ecology, access to information on climate change, access to extension services, off farm income and change in temperature and precipitation were found to have significant influence on the probability of farmers to perceive climate change. Since the level of perception to climate change revealed by the study was found to be high (94%), the study suggests that more policy efforts should thus be geared towards helping farmers to adapt to climate change. Key words: Climate change, Perceptions, Logistic regression, Kyuso District

A Binomial Logit Analysis of Factors Affecting Adoption of Soil Conservation Structures in Kericho County, Kenya

Kericho is one of the forty-seven counties of Kenya and one that is characterized with steep areas prone to soil erosion. A number of organizations have for a long time promoted soil conservation technologies in soil erosion prone parts of Kenya. The paper provides findings of a study carried out to analyze the factors affecting adoption of the various soil conservation technologies by farmers. Cross sectional data was collected from respondents who were selected using multistage sampling procedure. Data was collected from a random sample of 115 farmers in Kericho County. Questionnaires were used to collect primary data from selected households. The binomial logit models were used to analyze the factors believed to affect adoption of the selected soil conservation technologies. Most of the variables postulated to affect the promoted soil conservation practices were found to be statistically significant in determining adoption of the promoted soil conservation technologies. Based on the study findings, it can be said that economic, social and cultural factors are important in soil conservation promotion strategies and should be considered in implementation and sustainable use of soil conservation technology. Soil conservation and other environmental conservation efforts are controversial issues that politicians rarely talk about in political rallies. Since politicians hold a high position in the eyes of farmers, they should be encouraged to support environmental conservation through championing soil conservation support efforts. Keywords: Binomial Logit, Factors, Adoption, Soil Conservation. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/14-5-01 Publication date:March 31st 202