| dc.description.abstract | Agriculture forms a basis for the realization of the social and economic pillar of the Kenyan Government's growth blue print, the Kenya vision 2030: transforming national development sustainable encouragement contributes to the longevity and longterm sustainability of benefits. Essential in protecting the country against hunger and ensuring safety and comfort as well as food security. This study looks at the influence of financial institution on adoption of Nerica rice varieties by small-scale farmers in Chakol Division. Rice cultivation is the principal activity and source of income for millions of households around the globe, and several countries of Asia and Africa are highly dependent on rice as a source of foreign exchange earnings and government revenue. Rice is the second largest produced cereal in the world. Since rice producing areas experience periodic food deficits, production ought to be increased so as to achieve food security. The growing ofNERICA (New Rice for Africa) rice varieties in Kenya has been promoted by agricultural extension service.
The purpose of this study was to investigate influence of financial institutions on adoption of NERICA rice varieties by small scale farmers in the Division. The objectives of the study included: To determine the extent to which access to credit, Research - Extension - Farmer linkages, equipments and inputs, market information and contact with extension as components of financial institutions influencing adoption ofNERICA rice varieties. An ex-post-facto survey design was used in the study. The target population did consist of 2000 farmers in Chakol division. A sample of 322 small scale farmers was selected using stratified proportionate random sampling.
Qualitative and quantitative analysis were used to establish essential facts, and to enable conclusion to be drawn. Questionnaires and interviews were administered by the researcher to the intended respondents meant to answer the stated research questions and achieve research objectives. Summarized and coded data was put into the computer after which analysis of quantitative data was done using Microsoft Excel and Microsoft SPSS as a tool. It can be concluded that a lot is still needed to make adoption ofNERICA rice easy, both for food security and improvement of livelihood for sustainability purposes. Key issues required to maintain and achieve such a process include quality and interactive stakeholder participation within the entire process of adoption as much as possible.
The study found out that most of the respondents 98 (65.33%) had not accessed credit for the purpose for growing NERICA rice: most of the respondents who had accessed credit were those who had planted NERICA rice varieties over one year the reason being that they had grown rice long enough to know the financial benefits and consequently the need to access credit to improve on farming.
The study recommends that the financial institutions and policy maker should provide market information to farmers: institutional strategies should be developed to favour young and women farmers; breeder should be encouraged to multistage development of varieties and technologies that favour small-scale farmers since form a large proportion of the farmer in Kenya today. a similar study be done that would establish the effects of all financial institutions on adoption of NERICA rice and the same be replicated in other provinces of Kenya for comparison purposes. Another area is the socio-economic impacts of adoption of NERICA rice in Kenya to be able to understand the economic value contributed by the sustained financial support. As well as Determination of an in-depth study on each of the above factors influencing adoption ofNERICA rice. | en_US |
