Determinants of Production and Performance of Honey Processing Projects: the Case of Kitui County

Abstract

Beekeeping technology has progressed throughout time. Despite technological developments, satisfying the basic needs of rural people to improve their living conditions through the adoption of modern beekeeping practices has proven to be difficult. This is due to a lack of farmer training and low acceptance rates of new technology. The goal of the study was to look into the factors that influence honey processing project productivity and performance. The study's goal was to figure out how technological adoption, credit availability, market demand, and farmer training affect honey processing production and performance in Kitui County. The study's target population was 125 people, with 110 beekeepers and 15 county agricultural officers from Kitui County, and a sample size of 69 people was chosen. Secondary data was gathered using questionnaires and interview guides, while primary data was gathered using the Kitui government's Ministry of Agriculture records and existing beekeeping literature. The validity of the research technique was determined after engaging with and following the advise of University of Nairobi research supervisors. After the pilot study, the research instruments' reliability was determined using the test-retest method. Descriptive statistics such as frequency tables, percentiles, and ranges were used to evaluate the data. The extent to which the influencing elements account for the success of honey processing projects in Kitui government was determined using inferential data analysis approaches such as regression models. The study discovered that production determinants had a favorable and significant impact on honey processing project performance in Kitui. Market demand had the greatest impact on honey processing project performance, followed by technology adoption, while loan access and farmer training had the greatest positive impact on honey processing project performance in Kitui County. The study found that all four variables, including technological adoption, financial access, market demand, and farmer training, have a favorable impact on honey processing project success in Kitui County. According to the report, beekeepers in Kitui County should concentrate on implementing contemporary technologies and ensuring that farmers are effectively taught to execute beekeeping tasks. The study indicated that beekeeper’s knowledge influenced adoption of technology which was represented by a composite mean of 2.1785 and SD=1.14267 and thus affect performance of honey processing projects in the county. Credit access affects honey processing projects which was represented by a composite means of 1.9524 and SD=1.117. The study indicated that market demand influence performance of honey processing projects which was represented by a composite mean score of 2.08094 and SD=1. 2395 while study indicated that farmers training affected performance of honey processing projects which was indicated by a composite mean of 2.2348 and SD=1.1177. The research recommends that the county government should give institutional support for beekeeping awareness programs and infrastructural improvements. The county government can also help with training programs by providing free beekeeping training or cooperating with other instructors. County governments, in partnership with donors and financial institutions, should finance farmers, and beekeeper loans should be guaranteed, especially in the early stages. The county government should eliminate the middlemen that exploit farmers, and farmers should have direct access to the market. Kitui County Government should develop methods to strengthen the organization's beekeeping activity. The county government could put together training programs for farmers to help them enhance their beekeeping operations