Performance of Small-Scale Commercial Fish Farming Supported by Economic Stimulus Program in Nyeri County, Kenya
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Date
2022
Authors
Kariuki, Mwangi Richard
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
global economic recession of 2008-2009 made the government of Kenya introduce economic stimulus packages to cushion their citizens. Fish farming program was one of the stimuli introduced to provide income to farmers and diversify food sources in selected 160 high potential fish farming constituencies in Kenya. Each selected constituency was supported to construct and stock 300 fish ponds to selected farmers who had land and reliable water sources. All the six constituencies of Nyeri County benefited from the program despite fish farming been a new activity in terms of fish management and consumption, because of her economic and cultural orientation. Selected farmers were supported with funds to construct ponds, 1000 fingerings for each pond, training and initial fish feeds.
The study examined how the new practice performed in an alien county that had no cultural linkage. It examined social-economic factors that influenced farmers to adopt fish farming, farmers training influence on the adoption of fish farming, the consequent effects of fish farming on farmers’ income and households’ fish consumption patterns and the challenges facing fish farmers in the county. The study used cross-sectional survey design applying both qualitative and quantitative approaches. It was carried out in Mathira constituency of Nyeri County and targeted 1566 fish farmers who benefited from government ESP support in Nyeri County. Purposive sampling was used to select the sample constituency and systematic sampling to identify the study respondents. Open ended questionnaires were administered to the respondents and interview scheduled with key study informants. Secondary data was obtained from critical textual analysis of books journals, reports, thesis and dissertations. Analysis was done with and aid of SPSS version 23 creating themes around the study objectives. Quantitative data was analyzed in terms of percentages. Logit regression model used to determine social economic factors that influenced adoption of fish farming and chi square tested the associations and relationships between variables. Presentation of analyzed data was by bar-graphs, pie-charts and tabulation followed by brief explanations. The study found that age of the farmer, family size, membership to a farmers group, household frequency of fish consumption and marital status were significant in explaining farmers will to adopt fish farming. Further farmers training had a strong association with adoption of fish farming at x2=98.571, p=0.001, a statistically significance between fish farming and household income of farmers at x2=58.068, p=0.001, a strong association between fish farming and change of consumption patterns at x2=120.313, P=0.001 and inadequate extension services, quality fingerings and high prices of fish feeds were main farmers challenges. The study recommends inclusion of farmers’ socio-economic characteristics when introducing new farming technologies, investing more on farmers training and ascertaining availability of quality fish feeds and fingerings affordable by the farmers. The study findings provide the impact of trainings in awareness and skills acquisition, the viability of fish farming substituting other low performing small-scale income generating agricultural activities and its impact in provision of safe, affordable high quality food sources.
Description
A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Degree of Masters in Arts (Regional and Urban Planning) in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of Kenyatta University, June, 2022
Keywords
Performance, Small-Scale, Commercial Fish Farming, Supported, Economic Stimulus Program, Nyeri County, Kenya