RP-Department of Agricultural Economics
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Item Determinants of Copying Strategies among Agropastoralists in Kitui and Isiolo Counties, Kenya(Discover Agriculture, 2024-10) Wandera, Leah N.; Macharia, Ibrahim; Ngare, LucyAgropastoralists in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-arid Lands (ASALs) face various shocks that threaten their livelihoods and expose them to significant health and economic risks. While existing studies often focus on climate-related shocks, they frequently overlook other challenges faced by these communities. A comprehensive understanding of how agropastoralists manage diverse shocks is essential to developing effective vulnerability reduction strategies. This study examined the major shocks experienced by agropastoral households in Kenya’s ASALs, their primary coping strategies, and the determinants informing the choice of the strategies adopted. Using cross-sectional data from 371 households in Isiolo (203) and Kitui (168) counties, this study applied descriptive analysis and multivariate probit (MVP) models to assess coping strategies and influencing factors. From 2016 to 2021, households faced shocks, such as droughts, livestock pests and diseases, crop pests, theft, and intercommunal conflicts. Regional variations were observed: crop pests were common in Kitui, whereas Isiolo experienced higher theft and conflict rates. Coping strategies include income diversification, asset sales, increased farm labor, and reduced food expenditure. Severe droughts and conflicts led to migration, while floods caused extreme measures such as withdrawing children from school. Key factors influencing coping strategies include household demographics, farm characteristics, and market proximity. Households with more adults, higher literacy, or greater income from crops and livestock are less likely to adopt costly strategies. This study recommends integrated interventions to enhance resilience to both climate and non-climate shocks.Item Camel Herd Structure and Performance in Isiolo and Marsabit Counties, Kenya(Canadian Center of Science and Education, 2023-12) Thiakunu, Florence K.; Njehia, Bernard K.; Nguhiu, Purity N.; Arimi, Joshua M.Urbanization and improved middle-level class income have caused an increase in demand for animal products and allowed economic growth in developing countries. Arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), which support high livestock populations have an opportunity to contribute to the economy. However, their potential may not be realized fully due to the effects of climate change. This study aimed to establish camel herd structure and performance in Isiolo and Marsabit Counties, Kenya. Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and a cross-sectional study were conducted from July to August 2022 in each County. Data on the herd size and composition (the number of age and sex categories) was collected from 388 households through structured questionnaires. The pregnancy test was done on seventeen camels four months after the mating season by tail cocking and progesterone assay method. Analysis was done using descriptive, correlations, and linear regression statistics at a 0.05 significance level. There were more female camels over 4 years in Isiolo (above 12%) than in Marsabit (below 10%). In Isiolo, milk yield was above 20 and 10 liters per day in wet and dry seasons respectively, while Marsabit production was below 10 liters in both seasons. Milk production coefficients were significant for the females above four years (p < 0.05). There were more households in Marsabit (63%) having a calving interval of 24 months and below than in Isiolo (50%). The tail cocking method did not correlate with the progesterone assay method in pregnancy diagnosis. The study concludes that, in Isiolo County, pastoralists are doing camel rearing with the objective of milk production unlike in Marsabit County. The recommendation is that pastoralists should be encouraged to adjust age and sex categories to increase milk production. Further, they need to apply an accurate cost-effective pregnancy testing method.Item Effects of Concentrate Supplementation on Lactating Dromedary Camels during Mating Season in Isiolo, Kenya(Meru University, 2024-04-22) Thiakunu, Florence; Njehia, Bernard K.; Nguhiu, Purity N.; Arimi, Joshua M.Camels are resilient and have a high potential to contribute to food security and economic development in arid areas. However, this potential is being limited by diminishing feed resources due to the effects of climate change. Further, there is an upcoming peri-urban camel production system where the animals are limited in their movement. Consequently, camels do not get enough browse forages in terms of biomass and quality to meet their nutritional requirement. This has resulted in decreased production and reproductive performance. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of concentrate supplementation on lactating camels on productive and reproductive performance during mating season. A diet containing 16.80% crude protein (CP) and a digestible energy of 8.44 MJ/Kg was formulated and supplemented in the evenings with a group of ten camels. Another group of 10 camels acted as the control. Milking was done in the morning and production from each camel was recorded in liters. Percentage milk fat and protein analysis were done weekly using Gerber and Kjeldahl methods respectively. Serum biochemical levels were determined using spectrophotometry in the fourth week. Confirmation of pregnancy was done on the 5th month after mating by chemiluminescent progesterone assay. Camels were then divided into four groups. These were, supplemented pregnant(4) supplemented and not pregnant(6) un-supplemented pregnant(1), and un-supplemented and not pregnant(9). Paired mean comparisons were done to ascertain differences within the four groups. Mean daily milk production was 25.26±0.42 and 22.79±0.41 liters for supplemented and un-supplemented groups respectively (p<0.001). Paired mean differences were highest between pregnant supplemented and pregnant un-supplemented pair (p=0.165). Biochemical profiles, mean milk protein and fat percentages were significantly higher for supplemented than un-supplemented (p˂0.05). All supplemented camels were mated within the first two weeks and had a higher conception rate (40%) than un-supplemented (10%). The study recommends concentrate supplementation during mating season to improve fertility and milk production, especially in pregnant camels.Item Extent of Adoption of Mobile Phone Applications by Smallholder Dairy Farmers in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya(Tylor and Francis, 2023-09) Mutuma, Samuel P.; Ngare, Wangare L.; Bett, Eric K.; Kamau, Christopher N.In Kenya, smartphones are readily available at lower cost than before, allowing farmers to access agricultural information through mobile applications. However, despite increased ownership of smartphones and the availability of mobile applications, the overall usage of mobile applications is still low. This research aimed to assess the factors that determine the adoption of mobile phone applications among smallholder dairy farmers in Tharaka Nithi County of Kenya. A multistage stratified sampling procedure was used to interview 427 farmers. A Double Hurdle approach was employed to analyze the drivers of decision and extent of adoption of mobile applications. The study revealed that 51% of the respondents used mobile applications to access agricultural information. The decision to use a mobile phone application was influenced by the sex of the household head, age and level of education, distance to the market center, farming (as the primary occupation), access to credit, channels of access to information, farmer’s perception on the cost and ease of use of the mobile application. Subsequently, farm size and the various channels through which farmers access information about the applications positively influenced the number of mobile applications used. This study recommends strengthening the existing extension pathways to disseminate more information regarding the use of mobile applications among smallholder farmers. Supporting public-private partnerships will be crucial in increasing the utilization of mobile phone applications.Item Adoption and Intensity of Integrated Agriculture Aquaculture among Smallholder Fish Farmers in Kenya(Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2023) Fonda, Jane Awuor; Macharia, Ibrahim Ndegwa; Mulwa, Richard MbithiThis paper examined the adoption and intensity of using integrated agriculture aquaculture (IAA) among smallholder fish farming households in Kenya. The analysis was based on crossectional farm-level data collected from four counties in Kenya: Nyeri, Kakamega, Siaya, and Busia. Results showed that risk plays a central role in farmers’ decisions through the direct effect of the sample moments of the profit distribution. Specifically, the first moment (mean profit) had a highly significant positive effect on the adoption and intensity of IAA. Profit variability, as reflected by the second moment, negatively impacted adoption and the intensity of IAA. Other factors that were important in IAA adoption included the proportion of economically active members, full-time land ownership, awareness of IAA, accessibility to irrigation, and flat farm topography, all of which were statistically significant in influencing IAA adoption positively. Other factors which were found to influence the intensity of IAA positively and significantly were: age, education level, number of economically active members, full-time land ownership, awareness of IAA, flat farm topography, and clay soil type. Thus, IAA should be promoted alongside farmers’ education, farm size, access to affordable and accessible credit, number of farm enterprises, and IAA awareness as a mechanism for enhancing smallholder IAA adoption and intensity of use.Item The Effect of Fuel Prices on Food Prices in Kenya(EconJournals, 2020) Ngare, Lucy W.; Derek, Okova W.High food prices are one of the major risks facing households from developing countries. Food prices have attracted renewed interest among policy experts in identifying appropriate policy instruments to counter the effect of price vulnerability. This paper evaluates the effect of fuel prices on food prices by testing for Granger causality and cointegration applied to diesel, maize, beans, cabbage, and potatoes price data for the period 2010-2018. The results revealed a unidirectional Granger causality running from diesel prices to cabbage and potatoes prices but there was no causal relationship with maize and beans prices. The findings suggest that there is a long-run price relationship between perishable foods and fuel prices with an increase in the price of diesel resulting in a significant increase in the price of cabbages and potatoes. The study recommends a policy of cushioning an increase in food prices by introducing a tax relief once the fuel price hits a certain level.Item Entrepreneurial Orientation, Learning Orientation, Cost Focus and Innovation in Agri-Food SME of Uganda(AFJRD, 2022) Ajer, B.; Ngare, L.; Macharia, I.Agri-food Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a key role in the economies of most developing countries. With increasing challenges and competitiveness, innovation has been shown to play a critical role in sustaining growth of the numerous agri-food SMEs in developing countries. This innovation is influenced by several factors including entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of the firm. This study introduces learning orientation and cost focus into the EO-Innovation paradigm with the aim of understanding the relationship among EO, learning orientation, cost focus and innovation. The study was conducted in the districts of Kampala, Mukono, Wakiso and Jinja in Uganda. These districts collectively have the highest concentration of agri-food firms in the country. Primary cross-sectional data were collected using semi structured questionnaires from a cross-section of 521 SMEs spread across the study area. Data were analyzed using multivariate structural equation modeling in AMOS v.23. Results suggest the importance of proactiveness in enhancing learning orientation, cost focus and innovation. On the other hand, entrepreneurial proclivity was seen to have significant influence on learning orientation and cost focus but not on innovation. The findings of this study have implications in agri-food SME learning orientation and cost focus. In essence, helping SMEs to become proactive or have high levels of proclivity would also increase their cost focus and learning orientation which are all important for the sustainability of agri-food SMEs.Item An Analysis of Consumer Willingness to Pay for Sorghum-Pigeon Pea Flakes: A Case of Makueni and Busia Counties, Kenya(ajp, 2022) Peter, Catherine Mueni; Mwenjeri, Gabriel; Ngugi, KahiuPurpose: The study seeks to determine the level of awareness and the highest amount consumers were willing to pay by positioning the novel product ready-to eat-cereals for breakfast Sorghum-pigeon pea processed from locally grown crop. Methodology: Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to assess consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for sorghum-pigeon pea flakes, which are Ready-to-Eat Cereals (RTEC). Three-stage sampling technique was used in selection of the two counties, and from each county three market places was identified. Glen sample size formula was used to obtain the total number of respondents, whereby a well semi-structured dichotomous questionnaire was used on 223 consumers from Makueni and Busia counties in Kenya. Double bounded logit model was employed in determining consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for SPPF. Findings: Results from the WTP assessment showed that consumers in both counties were willing to pay for the Sorghum-Pigeon Pea Flakes. The average WTP value in Busia and Makueni Counties was 140 and 136 Kenya Shillings, respectively. Further, nearly half of the respondents in both counties were aware of the ready-to-eat breakfast cereal SPPF for nutritional improvement. According to the findings of the double-bounded logit regression, being male, marital status, awareness of SPPF, and living in Busia County all positively influenced WTP for SPP. Having formal employment and household expenditure, on the other hand, had a negative impact on the WTP for SPPF. Recommendations: The study recommends nutritional training to raise awareness of the benefits of consuming SPP. Furthermore, policies should focus on raising awareness of the nutritional benefits of SPPF among families, particularly those in Makueni.Item Profitability Analysis of Pigeonpea Production among Smallholder Farmers in Machakos County, Kenya(EAAF, 2022) Makena, N.S.; Mwenjeri, G.; Ngare, L.; Kago, E.W.Pigeon pea is a drought-tolerant crop primarily grown by small-scale farmers in arid and semi-arid lands mostly for income generation and food security. Despite its importance in drought-prone environments, its production remains low. The profit associated with the production of pigeon pea, contributes to the Gross Domestic Product of Kenya. However, in Machakos County there is little information on the amount of profit from pigeon pea and its relationship with socioeconomic characteristics of farmers. The objective of this study was to determine the socioeconomic characteristics of pigeon pea farmers profitability of pigeon pea production in Machakos County. Data for the study were obtained from both primary and secondary sources. A questionnaire was administered to 346 pigeon pea farmers to collect primary data. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the socioeconomic characteristics and gross margin analysis was used to compute the gross margins. The results showed that the gross margin from pigeon pea production in Machakos County was KES. 3470.60/acre. This implies that pigeon pea farming though profitable in the study area had a gross margin crop was low. This could be attributed to high costs of labour, pesticides, poor quality seeds, biotic factors and climate change that might have had an adverse effect on productivity. Therefore, the study proposes formulation of strategies to make available certified seeds not only to increase productivity but also to enhance efficiency in production.Item The Exclusion Dilemma: How Women and the Poor are excluded from Collective Action and Implications for Development Policy(IOSR-JAVS, 2021) Maindi, Catherine Nyambune; Ngare, Lucy WangareThis paper focuses on the drivers of participation of smallholder avocado farmers in collective action initiatives. Collective action holds a vast potential to deliver food security and poverty reduction objectives because it enables the farmers to access benefits they would not otherwise get if they were acting individually. The study utilized primary data collected from 130 households randomly selected from both members and non-members of avocado producer and marketing groups in Murang’a County, Kenya. The findings reveal that membership in collective action was highly influenced by the scale of production, farming experience, resource endowment, access to information and gender. On the other hand, market price, group attributes including size, age, membership homogeneity, trust, and decision making influenced the intensity of participation in groups. These results point to the dilemma that those who need the benefits of collectives more-the poor and the women-are excluded from their participation, a trend that works against poverty eradication and women empowerment goals. The pro-poor policies need to create an enabling environment for the survival of collectives as well as foster inclusion of disadvantaged groups, such as the poor, youth and women.Item Resource Use Efficiency Among Rice Farmers Around Fragile Ecosystems: Evidence From Kilombero Wetland, Tanzania(University of Debrecen,, 2020) Kamau, Philip; Willy, Daniel; Ngare, Lucy: Farmers have been encroaching fragile wetlands as a strategy to increase their rice production thus threatening wetlands’ existence and capacity to other critical ecosystem services. This calls for efficient production to strike the balance between food rice production and wetlands’ sustainable existence. The current study sought to provide assess rice farmers’ technical efficiency of resource use by detecting the determinants of rice yield and further identify the determinants of technical efficiency of the resources used by rice farmers in Kilombero wetland. A cross-sectional survey of 145 randomly sampled farmers aided in achieving the study objective. A stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) model was used to analyze data. The mean technical efficiency among farmers was at 60.54% level. The positive determinants of rice yield were land and fertilizers while labor influenced it negatively. Age, education, farming experience, group membership, and credit access reduced inefficiency while the distance to the extension agent and off-farm income increased farmers’ inefficiency. The study concludes that there is a possibility of expanding rice production without threatening the wetland’s existence. It recommends that government and other stakeholders to ensure that rice farmers are up-to-date with optimal use of fertilizers in rice production since it will assist in improving rice yield while the rate of expansion of rice lands in the wetlands will lower. Policy implementers ought to establish initiatives that inspire rice farmers to capitalize on farmer groups and join education programs to take full advantage of their potential efficiency and might participate in community development activitiesItem Productivity Effects of Biological Control of Maize Stemborer Pests in Kenya: Damage Control Function Approach(AgEcon Search, 2021-06) Midingoy, Soul-kifouly G.; Affognon, Hippolyte D.; Macharia, Ibrahim; LeRu, BrunoIn this study, we evaluate the productivity impacts of the biological control program (BC) against stemborers in maize production in Kenya. We use production function with damage control function framework to clearly account for the difference in yield-effects of inputs that contribute to plant growth and factors that control damage to plant. The endogeneity concern with pesticide use was accounted for by employing a two-stage least square (2SLS) estimator that subsequently allows deriving the marginal physical product. Findings from the first stage show that the presence of BC agents is associated with a decrease in pesticide use, providing insights on the potential substitution of insecticide by the biological control and the hazardreducing effect of BC on environment. The second stage analysis show significant and positive relationships between maize production and BC suggesting the positive impact of the BC on productivity. The marginal physical product shows that bio-control contributes to substantial increase in maize productivity as each percent point increase in BC level is associated with at least 12 kg/ha gain in maize. Biological control is an advantageous and sustainable policy tool to reduce food insecurity and the potential risks on environment and human health among farmers with poor socioeconomic status.Item Factors Influencing Value Addition to Cashew Products Processed in the South-East Zone, Nigeria: A Multinomial Logistic Regression Approach(EJFOOD, 2022) Anayochukwu, Victor Eze; Macharia, Ibrahim; Ngare, LucyNigeria is a leading cashew producer, but this has not been reflected in the development of the downstream cashew value chain industry. The launch of the “Agriculture Promotion Policy (2016 – 2020)” document was designed to encourage value addition to export crops such as cashew as ways of creating jobs and wealth to value chain actors. However, it is still unclear why cashew processors are unable to exploit this opportunity to improve value addition to cashew. This makes it imperative that factors influencing value addition to cashew products in the South-East zone, Nigeria be analysed. A cross-sectional survey design involving a structured questionnaire was used to obtain data from 353 randomly selected respondents from the South-East zone, Nigeria. The findings from the multinomial logistic regression showed that income, access to market, product characteristics, and cost of cashew processing technology significantly influence value addition to cashew products in two models, whereas government policy on cashew processing and market facilities were significant in the second model. The relative risk ratios for age, educational level, income, processing experience, access to market, distance to market, government policy on cashew processing and market facilities were > 1, suggesting the likelihood of processor's preferring to add value to cashew kernel, and both cashew products as against cashew nut for any unit increase in these variables. This study provided vital insights about how the relative significance of these factors will aid policy analysts and decision-makers to determine which of the factors to focus on while developing specific policies for the cashew value chain industry.Item Economic Impact of DroughtTEGO® Hybrid Maize in Kenya(academic journals, 2021) Willy, Daniel Kyalo; Macharia, Ibrahim; Marechera, George; Muinga, Grace; Mugo, Stephen; Rotich, Ruth; Oniang'o, Ruth Khasaya; Karanja, James; Obunyali, Caleb O.; Oikeh, Sylvester O.This paper utilizes the Economic Surplus Model (ESM) to provide an ex-post evaluation of the economic impact of drought tolerant hybrid maize technology in Kenya. Results indicate that the adoption of DroughtTEGO® varieties will generate economic benefit to producers with a net present value of US$ 2.1 billion over a 20-year period. These benefits are sustainable when adoption levels remain above 32% and yield advantage at least 21% over the commercial hybrids. These results present a compelling reason for investing in development, deployment and upscaling of the technology to mitigate the effects of drought among maize producers in AfricaItem The Potential Economic Benefits of Insect-Based Feed in Uganda(Frontiers Media, 2022-11) Abro, Zewdu; Macharia, Ibrahim; Mulungu, Kelvin; Subramanian, Sevgan; Tanga, Chrysantus Mbi; Kassie, MenaleBlack soldier fly farming is gaining traction globally as a strategy for recycling organic waste into high-quality proteins and fat for feed and organic fertilizer for crop production. The support of governments in East Africa to integrate insect meal in livestock feed has opened opportunities for commercializing insect products. Understanding the potential value of Black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) is paramount to inform policies and practices to promote insect farming and insect-based feed for livestock production. This paper uses the economic surplus method to generate evidence on the potential socioeconomic impact of replacing conventional soybean and fish meal protein sources with insect-based feed (IBF), BSFLM, in Uganda. Results indicate that substitution of IBF for existing protein sources will generate net economic benefits of USD 0.73 billion in 20 years (0.037 billion per year). The benefit-cost ratio is estimated at 28:1, and the internal rate of return is 138%, indicating that the insect-based animal feed industry is a profitable investment. Even in the worst-case scenario, when the replacement rate of IBF and its economic benefits are reduced by half, the benefit-cost ratio remains high (8:1). The estimated economic benefit can lift about 4.53 million people above the poverty line in the country. It can also create about 1,252─563,302 new jobs per annum, depending on the substitution rate of conventional protein feeds with IBF (0.1%─45%). Uganda has the potential to produce from about 3,244 tons to 1.5 million tons of IBF. Similarly, using the same replacement rates, the country can produce about 695─312,678 tons of NPK fertilizer from biowaste recycling. About 0.09-41 million tons of biowaste could be recycled, depending on the replacement rate of conventional feed sources with IBF. Our results justify that investing in the insect feed value chain can contribute to Uganda’s economic, social, and environmental sustainability.Item Analysis of Rice Marketing Channels Choices in Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Kirinyaga County, Kenya(e-palli, 2023) Murage, Boniface Wachira; Bett, Eric Kiprotich; Njehia, Bernard; Karani, CharlesThe National Rice Development Strategy in (Kenya vision 2030) aims to improve food security, rural employment, and income for smallholder farmers in the Mwea irrigation scheme (MIS) through planned and intentional efforts. A study was conducted to identify major influences in choosing market avenues among rice farmers. The study used a sample size of 384 small-scale rice farmers to analyze the different rice marketing channels used in MIS, and to understand the factors that influence farmers’ choices of marketing channels. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the marketing channels, multinomial logit model was used to evaluate channel choices. The marketing channels were Channel 1: Farmer-Consumer (0.3%); Channel 2: Farmer-Brokers-Millers-Consumer (51.1%); Channel 3: Farmer-Brokers- Millers- Retailer-Consumer (42.3%); Channel 4: Farmer- Millers-Retailer-Consumer (62.72%) and Channel 5: Farmer- Millers- Wholesaler-Retailer-Consumer (37.28%). The most profitable channel was direct sales to consumers, which accounted for only 0.3% of total rice production in MIS. The study also found that factors such as education level, participation in marketing groups, distance to market, and age of the household head significantly influenced farmers’ choice of marketing channels. The study is critical in enriching literature on rice agricultural supply chains in Kenya. The study recommends policy considerations to protect small-scale farmers from exploitative brokers and suggests registering brokers to monitor their activities and set standards for fair practices, with the goal of regulating their activities to prevent exploitation of small-scale farmers in rice marketing.Item The Influence of Market Orientation on Innovation Attitude and Firm Innovativeness, a Case of Agri-Food Msmes in Uganda(Emerald, 2023) Ajer, Basil; Ngare, Lucy; Macharia, IbrahimPurpose – This study assessed the relationship among market orientation, innovation attitude and firm’s innovativeness in the context of agri-food micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in a developing country context. Design/methodology/approach – Cross-sectional primary data was collected using structured questionnaires from a sample of 521 agro-food MSMEs in Uganda. Data was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Findings – Results showed that interfunctional coordination influences both firm innovativeness and innovation attitude. On the other hand, competitor orientation does not influence innovation attitude, but negatively influences firm innovativeness, while customer orientation does not influence firm innovativeness, but positively influences innovation attitude. Results also confirm the positive influence of innovation attitude on firm innovativeness. These relationships vary by location, size of MSME, type of MSME. Research limitations/implications – The findings of study this imply that agri-food firms should focus on improving the internal coordination among departments so as to improve both attitude toward innovation and firm’s innovativeness. Originality/value – This study investigates market orientation and innovation in agro-food MSMEs in a development countryItem Intention to Adopt Improved Indigenous Chicken Breeds among Smallholder Farmers in Machakos County, Kenya. Do Sociopsychological Factors Matter?(Elsevier, 2023) Kamau, Christopher N; Majiwa, Eucabeth B; Otieno, Geoffrey O; Kabuage, Lucy WConsumption of poultry meat, eggs, and other animal-sourced commodities has dramatically risen by almost 86%, with the demand of indigenous chicken products almost doubling over the past few decades. In Kenya, poultry farmers prefer indigenous chicken due to their resilience to harsh climatic conditions, high feed conversion rates, delicious end products, ability to scavenge and potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions among other factors. Despite the high demand for poultry and its products, the gap between demand and production remains high. Poultry farmers try to keep pace with the demand by integrating the recommended improved IC breeds into their production system. Although there exists some understanding on the determinants of the farmers to adopt improved IC, still there is scanty information on how socio-psychological factors influence the intention to adoption improved IC among the farmers in Kenya. Thus, this study sought to investigate the determinants of intention to adopt improved IC while specially focusing on the role of socio-psychological factors. A total of 374 IC farmers in Machakos county were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Partial Least Square - Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze the data. Results from descriptive statistics showed that approximately 90% of who IC farmers in the study area were aware of the improved indigenous chicken breeds. However, the adoption of the improved IC was below average (44.9%). The path analysis results revealed that Subjective Norm (SN) was the main determinant of farmer’s intention to adopt improved IC breeds, followed by Attitude (ATT) and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC). The study recommends more emphasis to be given to psycho-social issues through well designed public and private interventions that will promote adoption of improved breeds among IC farmers.Item Critical Evaluation of Genetically Modified Organisms as an Intervention Strategy in Agribusiness Sector in Kenya within the Context of Climate Change(Full Length Research, 2022) Mwasiaji, Evans; Alaro, Lawrence; Muthinja, Moses; Njuguna, ChristopherClimate change has negative effects on crop yields, nutritional quality, livestock productivity, human health and the rate of economic growth. This has exacerbated food and nutrition insecurity in Kenya, hence the cabinet approval of genetically modified crops that attracted praise and protestations in equal measure. This study using a metaanalysis approach therefore sought to detect gaps in the phenomenon of genetically modified organisms as an intervention strategy in agribusiness sector, governmental regulatory framework, agripreneurship competencies and their impact on food security in Kenya. The study revealed that Agriculture remains a pillar to Kenya’s economy. The study also established that climate change complicates Kenya’s long-term aspiration of attaining nutrition and food security, with 4.2 million people facing acute hunger in year 2022, while simultaneously wasting about 5.2 tonnes of food every year. Further, studies on genetically modified organisms have reported conflicting results on effect on human health, ethical consideration, ownership of technology, seed sovereignty and adequacy of capacity to test for quality standards. This study argues that there is inadequate data to support cultivation and importation of genetically modified food crops as a hunger intervention measure in Kenya. Seedlings generated through biotechnology innovations not only negate the need to produce in harmony with nature, but are also a threat to food security through patents ownership by multinationals. This implies that the premise upon which genetically modified organisms were approved in Kenya is faulty. The study concludes that vulnerable people experiencing hunger in Kenya is due to supply chain failure in agribusiness sector, rather than lack of food in the country. The study therefore recommends that discussions about food insecurity in Kenya should focus on how to improve infrastructure, enhancement of agripreneurship competencies along the whole food value chain including seed, agricultural production and distribution factors. There is also need to shift towards irrigation as opposed to over reliance on rain fed agriculture. The study has also suggested the need to use an integrated model and some propositions to be tested as hypotheses to generate data to facilitate evidence based solutions to enhance agribusiness sector productivity, food and nutrition security in Kenya.Item Supply Chain Management and Organisational Performance: Mediation Effect of Competitive Advantage(ExcelingTech Publishers, 2021) Wainaina, Charles M; Bett, Erick K; Njehia, Benard K—Supply chain management (SCM) practices have become strategic resources and capabilities for enhancing both competitive advantage organisational performance (ORGPER). However, it is not clear how SCM Practices influence organisational performance in the agribusiness context. However, the mechanism of SCMPs effects is not yet understood since extant literature has produced mixed results. Therefore, this study sought to examine the mediation effects of competitive advantage in the relationship between SCMPs and ORGPER from the dairy supply chain perspective in Kenya. The study postulated four hypotheses that were tested using Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) techniques to address the study objectives. A cross-sectional survey design was utilised to gather primary data from 109 dairy co-operatives in the thirteen major milk-producing counties in Kenya. The result revealed that SCM practices have a positive and significant influence on CA (β=0.730), and ORGPER (β=0.237). Additionally, CA has a positive, statistically significant influence on ORGPER (β=0.522). Further results show that CA mediates the relationship between SCMPs and ORGPER. Consequently, the study concludes that SCMPs first generates CA, which in turn enhances ORGPER in an organisation. Theoretically, the study provides insights on the resource-based view theory as well as a conceptual framework for its validation. Similarly, the study informs managers and policymakers in knowing specific SCMPs to focus on to enhance CA and ORGPER of the dairy cooperatives in Kenya.