Potential for Sustainable Urban and Peri-Urban Agricultural Practices in Nairobi County
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Date
2021-03-01Author
Mwaura, M. N.
Mukoya-Wangia, S.
Origa, J. O.M
batia, O. L. E.,
Chimoita, E. L
Type
ArticleLanguage
en_USMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The study examined the sustainable potential of urban and peri-urban
agricultural practices in Nairobi. The study employed purposive, stratified and
random sampling methods to select 149 respondents. Frequencies, means
and standard deviations were used to analyse data. Findings indicate that the
most popular urban and peri-urban practices were composting (221), open
field farming (212), vegetable nurseries (155) and various forms of irrigation
(140). Animal based practices were not found to be very popular. Majority of
the practices were concentrated in the peri-urban areas. Popular practices
were not found to be the most profitable. The most profitable practices were
cattle rearing raising approximately Ksh.650,000, mushroom farming
(Ksh.500,000), chicken rearing (Ksh.500,000), and hydroponics production
(Ksh.450,000). These unpopular practices required expensive inputs,
specialised technological and management skills and a controlled agricultural environment for production and efficient use of resources. These
requirements qualified them to contribute towards the economic, social and
environmental aspects of sustainability. There is need for a transformation
from the current popular, less profitable and environmentally unfriendly
practices categorized as uncontrolled environment agriculture practices to the
controlled environment agriculture practices. This can be achieved through
the provision of subsidised inputs and specialised technological and
management skills to the farmers by the county government and other
relevant stakeholders. This change with policy support will contribute to using
sustainable agricultural practices that ensure food security and contribute to a
sustainable food system in the city.
URI
https://www.ajol.info/index.php/jae/article/view/204294http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/handle/11295/154906
Citation
Mwaura, M. N., Mukoya-Wangia, S., Origa, J. O., Mbatia, O. L. E., & Chimoita, E. L. (2020). Potential for Sustainable Urban and Peri-Urban Agricultural Practices in Nairobi County. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 25(1), 31-40.Publisher
Journal of Agricultural Extension