Browsing by Author "Kasera,Stephen Oluoch"

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    Information Technology-Based Platforms Adoption on Farmgate Prices and Production among Vegetable Farmers in Selected Counties in Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2025-12) Kasera,Stephen Oluoch
    Information Communication Technology platforms, such as mobile apps and online marketplaces, play a crucial role in improving agricultural production and marketing of produce. According to the basic Agricultural survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, approximately 45% of smallholder farmers in Kenya used Information Communication Technology tools in agriculture in 2022, reflecting an 8% increase from previous years. This growth is attributed to government initiatives to promote technology across sectors and the emergence of new platform providers fostering healthy competition. However, despite this growth, the impact of these platforms on vegetable production levels and prices remains underexplored. This study examined how adopting Information Communication Technology platforms affects prices and production among vegetable farmers in the counties of Kiambu, Makueni, and Nakuru in Kenya. The analysis used panel data with 7,500 observations collected from 3,750 vegetable farmers across two seasons: 2023 (before intervention) and 2024 (after intervention). Key variables included farmgate prices, production quantities, farm size, education level, input costs, market distance, and access to government subsidies. Farmers were divided into treatment and control groups based on platform usage. The study applied a Difference-in Differences approach, revealing that adopting information communication technology was significantly linked to higher farmgate prices. Regression analysis showed that using ICT-based platforms increased farmgate prices by Ksh.6.40 per kilogram. The Difference-in-Differences results also confirmed a causal effect, with the Average Treatment Effect on the Treated showing a statistically significant increase of KSh.3.20. Regarding production levels, findings indicated that platform adoption led to a notable increase in output, with adopters producing 675 kilograms more than non-adopters. The Average Treatment Effect on the Treated from Difference-in Differences analysis supported this, showing a statistically significant production rise of 410 kilograms attributable to adoption at the 95% confidence level. The study concludes that adopting farm-based information technology platforms has a positive and significant impact on both farmgate prices and production levels among vegetable farmers. These findings provide empirical support for the hypothesis that digital tools improve farmers' market engagement and production efficiency. The policy implications from the study, from the evidence that information communication technology based- platforms positively affect both farmgate prices and production, suggest that agricultural digitalization can play a central role in national strategies to improve rural incomes and food security and policymakers should recognize that without a foundational understanding of how to interpret and apply digital information, the benefits of information communication technology platforms tools may not be fully realized