Influence of Southern Nyanza community development project intervention on agricultural production in Kobama Division, in Ndhiwa District, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of Southern Nyanza Community Development Project intervention in agricultural production in Kobama Division, Ndhiwa District. The study was guided by the following objectives; to assess the extent to which improved crop varieties initiated by SNCDP influence agricultural production in Kobama Division, to investigate how improved livestock production technology initiated by SNCDP influence agricultural production in Kobama Division, to determine the extent to which disease control in livestock initiated by SNCDP influence agricultural production in Kobama Division, to establish how capacity building of farmers initiated by SNCDP influence agricultural production in Kobama Division and to find out how sinking of boreholes and excavation of shallow wells initiated by SNCDP influence agricultural production in Kobama Division.

The background of the study looked into agricultural production and its contribution to the welfare of the society. The researcher used both purposive and simple random sampling to get the sample size of the study. The study findings found out that intervention by SNCDP improved both livestock and crop production but still there was a need for further intervention since a sizeable number of farmers did not adopted the technology. The research also found out that the water sources were not enough for any meaningful agricultural production. The study concluded that although most farmers in the study area were reached by the new technologies, the support they were given was not enough and still there was a need for more support from SNCDP.

The study recommended further intervention by the government and other stakeholders for the adoption of new technologies by the farmers in the area of both the crop and livestock production. The study also recommended that more water sources should be increased by the government and more extension staff to be posted to the division to enhance capacity building of farmers. The researcher identified areas of further research which includes establishing socio-economic factors that affect adoption of new technologies and that research needs to be carried on the evaluation on the local indicators for selection and adoption of new technologies.