MST-Department of Geography

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Browsing MST-Department of Geography by Subject "Adoption ."

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    Factors Influencing Adoption of One Acre Fund Agricultural Innovation Program Among Smallholder Maize Farmers in Bungoma County, Kenya.
    (Kenyatta University, 2022) Maxwell, Sifuna N.; Philomena Muiruri
    The adoption of agricultural development programs is the basis of a country’s economic development. In the past, the adoption of new agricultural practices has helped address the country's food shortages. However, despite efforts to distribute this technology to emerging farmers, research reports report low levels of technology acquisition. This study was prompted by the low levels by most smallholder maize farmers to take up all the components of the One Acre Fund (OAF) agricultural innovation program amid declining maize production and increased population in Bungoma South Sub-County. The study examined factors influencing adoption of OAF agriculture innovation program adoption among smallholder maize farmers, Bungoma County based on the following objectives; To determine socio-economic factors that influence the adoption of OAF programs, to determine the types of OAF agricultural innovations adopted by farmers, to explore the phases involved in the adoption of OAF agricultural innovations and to examine the benefits and challenges as well as the strategies of improving OAF agricultural innovation program adoption to improve the adoption of the OAF agricultural development program. The study embraced the descriptive research design to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Data collection was done mainly using questionnaires, interview schedules, focus group discussions, and direct observation of 204 OAF households. The second data was collected from published materials, journals, and magazines. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics while quantitative data was filtered, coded, and analyzed using the Social Sciences Statistical Package (SPSS). The regression analysis was used to determine the correlation between dependent and independent variables. The situation analysis was also performed to determine the status of the various types of OAF agricultural innovation by smallholder farmers in the area of study. Pairwise ranking was used to determine advanced acquisition strategies. Findings showed that the socio-economic characteristics of farmers such as age (p = 0.002), marital status (p = 0.000), level of education (p = 0.001), family size (p = 0.047), non-farm work (p = 0.327) and size of land (p = 0.110) affected the adoption of the OAF agricultural renaming. They also pointed out that the phases of adoption of group memberships (p = 0.047), farm visits (p = 0.012), and training (p = 0.000) by field officers also contributed to the adoption of OAF agricultural adoption. Situation analysis identified improved maize varieties, fertilizer application, intercropping, pesticide application, corn drying bags, and acetylic provision as new OAF varieties. Farmers have identified various challenges such as high interest costs, high registration fees, high farm inputs, poor and fertile soil and the small size of land affected farmers in adopting the OAF agricultural rehabilitation program. Proposed interventions for improved acceptance proposed to reduced interest rates (7), crop insurance (6), reduced farm input costs (4), increased fertilizer use (1), and awareness of all new agricultural innovations (1). The study concluded that the adoption of the new OAF for agriculture is influenced by other factors as shown in the adoption model. The study recommends awareness programs, crop insurance, the establishment of farm cooperatives, and the strengthening of farmers' knowledge systems. The study results are expected to be useful to agricultural stakeholders so as to increase the adoption of agricultural technology