RP-Department of Agricultural Resources Management (ARM)

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Browsing RP-Department of Agricultural Resources Management (ARM) by Subject "Adoption"

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    A Double-Hurdle Model Estimation of Adoption and Intensity of Use of Poultry Production Technologies in Machakos County, Kenya
    (Taylor & Francis Group, 2024-03) Kamau, Christopher N.; Majiwa, Eucabeth B.; Otieno, Geoffrey O.; Kabuage, Lucy W.
    ABSTRACT Poultry production technologies adoption, such as improved Indigenous Chicken (IC) breeds and fabricated brooders, remain a viable option for enhancing IC productivity. However, the uptake of improved IC technologies remains low, especially in developing countries. This study investigated the adoption and intensity of the use of IC technologies in Machakos County, Kenya. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey to collect data from 374 households selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. A structured questionnaire and focus group discussion were employed, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Double-Hurdle model. The double hurdle results revealed that farmer experience, land size, non-farm activities, group membership, access to credit, awareness of IC technologies, and use of intensive/semi-intensive production systems were positively associated with IC technology adoption. However, household size was negatively associated with IC technology adoption. The intensity of use of IC technology was positively associated with gender, active labor, credit access, distance to the weather roads, and intensive production system. The study recommends that there is a need for agricultural stakeholders to promote membership in farmer associations and credit access, create awareness of IC technology, and improve opportunities for non-farm activities to help improve the adoption and intensity of the use of IC technologies. PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT The integration of improved Indigenous Chicken (IC) technologies plays an essential role in bridging the existing demand for white meat in developing nations. The present popularity of the indigenous chicken is due to the ease of feed conversion, the organic nature of production, scavenging ability, and delicious products. Despite the increased demand, the rate of uptake of the improved IC technologies remained low. The findings underscore the crucial role of human-specific, economic, and institutional factors in determining the decision and intensity of IC technologies in the arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya. The focus should be on targeted interventions such as programs suited to the requirements of the region’s farmers, increasing access to credit and extension services, and campaigning for supporting government policies and programs that stimulate the use of improved IC technologies.
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    Integrated Soil Fertility Management Prospects for Soil Productivity and Food Security in Machakos County
    (EAAFJ, 2022) Wamalwa, S. W.; Danga, B.; Kwena, K.
    Integrated soil fertility management is the most costeffective and time-efficient method of restoring soil fertility and increasing per capita yields on Sub-Saharan African smallholder farms. However, low acceptance has resulted from a lack of knowledge about the prospects of these strategies prior to promoting them. In 2016, the Mwania watershed in Machakos, eastern Kenya, was surveyed to fill this void. About 174 household heads were chosen using the “farmer-led adoption approach and a pretested structured questionnaire to obtain primary data on their household gender, education level, food security, cultivated land size, soil fertility practices, and constraints to determine the potential use of integrated soil fertility management practises at the watershed level. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 22 computer program for descriptive attributes. Relationships between dependent and independent variables were determined using the tobit regression model. According to the findings, 85% of households are headed by men, with over 82% being postprimary graduates, who are the main decision makers. The majority (83%) cultivate 2 ha and 57% acknowledged food insecurity, with 89.1%, 73.1%, and 45.1% blaming it on climate variability, limited soil moisture, and a lack of input access, respectively. Low fertility scored 40% at medium level with labour at 40% in low cluster constraints, could be because of high unemployment rates. Animal manure and chemical fertiliser use were reported at 95.5% and 76.6%, respectively, although they were using them separately, probably due to high cost, increased labour requirements, and accessibility problems resulting in continuous low yields. Therefore, huge prospects of integrated soil fertility management practices’ use exist in the Kenyan semi-arid, especially when promoted at community level.