The Influence of agricultural information on smallholder potato farmer's production: a case study of Nyandarua County
Date
2019
Authors
Mbugua, Caroline
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Strathmore University
Abstract
There is a positive relationship between information and agricultural development which is an asset that the developed nations have capitalized on to occupy their coveted positions in food security because of information generation and delivery to their people. Assessing the flow of agricultural knowledge and information in ·the rural areas of Kenya is therefore important. The main objective of the study was to establish the influence of agricultural information on potato production with a special focus on smallholder potato farmers in Nyandarua County. Specific objectives were; to determine the sources of agricultural information, types of agricultural information, factors influencing access to information, and how they accessed information was utilized. This study adopted a descriptive research design. The study’s target population was 101,697 smallholder potato farmers in Nyandarua County. The study sample size was 150 smallholder potato farmers. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Descriptive statistics including frequencies, means, and standard deviation were applied to analyze numerical data gathered using closed-ended questions. Regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between the study variables. The data was presented in the form of tables, figures, and pie charts. The study established that sources of information for farmers affect the uptake and perception of farmers in regard to their credibility. Factors like age, gender, and literacy levels influenced access .to information. The study concluded that the cost, budgetary constraints, farmers’ training of all kinds, infrastructure, and farmers' culture affected the effective usage of agricultural information to a great extent. The study recommends that household heads be financed and trained to acquire skills on internet access and usage, especially through the use of smartphones and computers for the information obtained may help them improve their farming skills which will at the same time be transferred to their relatives, neighbors, other farmers and farm managers employed or involved in day to day farming activities.
Description
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) Degree