Determinants of protected tomato production technologies among smallholder peri-urban producers in Kiambu, Kenya

Climate variability and the rise in incidences of pests and diseases continue to undermine production of high value vegetables among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. In order to respond to these challenges, protected farming technologies (PFT) (such as greenhouses) which modify the plant environment and therefore aid in avoiding the harmful eects of climatic factors have been promoted. Greenhouses protect the crops against high solar radiation and heavy rainfall that have the potential of destroying vulnerable crops like tomatoes. Consequently, PFT is associated with better yields and farm incomes. However, the adoption of PFT among smallholder farmers, not least in Kenya is low. Drawing on the Agricultural Household Model (AHM) theoretic framework, this paper assessed the determinants of adoption of PFT among smallholder tomato farmers in Kenya. Tomato is the second most important horticultural vegetable crop in Kenya after potatoes in terms of production volumes and value. Data for the study were collected from a cross sectional multistage random survey of 104 tomato farming households and analysed using maximum likelihood probit model. The probit results revealed that the age of a farmer, educational level, household size, total household income and access to credit positively influenced the likelihood of PFT adoption. The likelihood of adoption was negatively related to distance to input markets and access to the county government extension services. Overall, the results of this study suggest that an integrated promotional strategy that accounts for household heterogeneities and focuses on institutional arrangements that support the accumulation of human and financial capital would enhance PFT adoption

To sell or store? Assessing smallholder farmers' willingness to pay for potato cold storage in Kenya

Abstract Storage of food commodities for some time after harvest can play an important role in alleviating the downside of price fluctuations in developing countries. While storage can offer smallholder farmers substantial inter‐temporal arbitrage opportunities, existing evidence shows that many farmers in developing countries store little of their harvest. Using a cross sectional survey of 502 households in Nyandarua and Bomet Counties of Kenya, this paper assessed smallholder farmers' willingness to pay (WTP) for cold storage and compares their WTP with the arbitrage opportunities. Our results reveal that the storage of potato was generally limited with only 26% storing in the season preceding the study. Using a hypothetical scenario with double‐bounded contingent valuation formats, our findings show that a considerable proportion of households (70.7%) were willing to rent cold storage facilities. The WTP for storing a 90 kg bag of Shangi, a common variety with a short shelf life (1 month) was Kenya shillings (KES) 104 (1.16/kg/month) compared KES 96.4 (1.07/kg/month) for the Unica variety (slightly longer shelf life). The probit model results show that gender (being female), and transaction costs associated with access to markets (e.g., geographical location and distance to the road) were positively associated with WTP. Furthermore, household endowment, reflected in household expenditure, income and level of potato commercialization had a positive influence on WTP to store. In addition, institutional characteristics of collective action, previous experience with storage and use of certified seed (often associated with extension) enhanced households WTP for potato storage. The results on potato prices over a 5‐year period (2014–2019) show that seasonal price gaps were higher than the estimated WTP, suggesting that potato storage could be economically viable. These findings have significant policy implications not only for commodities whose harvest is perishable and season bound (e.g., vegetables, fruits) where arbitrage may offer price stabilization