Analyzing Effect of Internal Financing on Financial Performance of Savings and Credit: Co-Operative Societies in Kakamega County, Kenya

Savings and credit Cooperatives are non - profit making organizations but must make reasonable surplus to satisfy payments of dividends, interests and bonuses to members. The insufficient contribution from members in form of savings and deposits which is the major source of funds for cooperatives has resulted in severe liquidity problems for Saccos in Kenya. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between alternative financing and financial performance of Savings and credit Cooperatives in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to: analyse the effect of internal financing on financial performance of Saccos in Kenya: This study was undertaken in Kakamega County, Kenya. This study adopted descriptive correlational research design as it seeks to describe and establish the relationship between the study variables of alternative financing and financial performance. This being a census study, all Saccos in Kakamega County registered under the Ministry of Cooperative Development and Marketing as at 31st December 2015 and are categorized as active were studied. Primary and secondary data were used in this study. Primary data was collected mainly through questionnaires which the researcher administered in person to key informants. The measures of independent variable (alternative financing) had Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.7541 while those of the dependent variable (financial performance) had Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.8701. The study measures were found to be highly reliable in that they all had alpha coefficient greater than the minimum accepted Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.70. The study found out that internal financing significantly and positively affected financial performance with 65.7 percent of the financial performance (R squared = 0.657) being explained by internal financing. The study recommends that there is need for Saccos in Kenya to rely more on internal financing as a source of their financing because it has been found by this study that internal financing has the greatest effect on financial performance of Saccos

Accelerated variety turnover for open-pollinated crops in Tanzania - Phase 1 Key Findings

Open-pollinated varieties (OPVs), such as beans, sorghum, and groundnuts, are important for increased income, job creation, food security, and nutrition of both urban and rural households in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the main constraint is underdeveloped seed systems, which contribute substantially to dwindling productivity among small-scale farmers due to limited access to reliable and quality planting materials. ACCELERATE is expected to accelerate varietal adoption and turnover in Tanzania by tapping into the power of large/small-scale or marketplace traders, and institutional seed buyers

Variety selection and seed quality management in grain legume cultivation

A key aspect of grain legume crop cultivation is selecting and being able to access the seed of the right type and quality. This is becoming more challenging as grain legumes become cash crops and smallholder farmers transition from subsistence farming to market-oriented production. This chapter discusses the challenges of legume variety selection and seed quality management as well as how they can be addressed, for example through participatory varietal selection (PVS). It includes case studies on improving seed selection and quality management in practice in sub-Saharan Africa

Analysis of quality control in the informal seed sector: case of smallholder bean farmers in Bondo Sub-County, Kenya

Common bean is the most widely grown and consumed grain legume in Kenya. However, its contribution to nutrition and income has not been fully felt by smallholder farmers in western Kenya due to low yields. Good quality seed, if used with complementary practices can increase bean productivity. This study was conducted in Bondo sub-County to determine the methods used by farmers in seed quality control; factors affecting the choice preferences for informal bean seed sources; and the structure and contribution of social networks in seed quality control. Primary data were collected from 100 respondents through scheduled interviews using structured questionnaires. Excel, SPSS, STATA and UCINET computer packages were used to run data. A multinomial logit model was used to analyse the effects of socio-economic characteristics on the choice of seed sources. Descriptive statistics were used to illustrate the seed quality control methods. The nature of social networks was determined using measures of centrality and brokerage positions and visualized through network graphs. The results showed that farmers use pre-planting, post-planting, harvest and post harvest methods in controlling seed quality; and are influenced by socio-economic characteristics while choosing seed sources in the informal sector. It was determined that social networks exist, and farmers rely mainly on fellow farmers to access bean seed. Therefore, the study suggests policy interventions to design integrated bean seed system with aspects of formal and informal sector to enhance supply of quality seed to smallholder farmers. Preference for certain bean varieties should be used for strategic varietal development. Finally, youth groups should be used as springboards for seed related interventions