The Impact of Farmer Training on Farm Output In Homa Bay, South Nyanza, Kenya

Abstract

Tie study concerns itself with the role of extension education to the small holder farmer. The study is based on Han a — Bay Fanner Training Centre, South Nyanza District, Kenya. It was postulated as a basis for research that a number of factors influence ar.all holder production, among which extension education wa3 singled out for a detailed Btudy. To asseoB it3 impact, an empirical analysis was designed to compliment the qualitative analysis* The research is an attempt to find whether the extension education cffcrred tc farmers at the Fanner Training Centre has ary real effect on their level of output. For this study, data were collected fran farmers who had gene through the Farmer Training Centre (F.T.C.) and also from those who had not been to the F.T.C. The results were quantitatively analysed using the regression technique and a five way analysis of variance. The assumption mado here was that seme of the apparent relationship encountered in the qualitative analysis may well be misleading* The findings of the analysis reveal that producer training, and fcmal education for the producer are important factors in determining the level of output in ar.all holder economies liie curs* The analysis is done in two stages: Stage one ccrnrises of three multiple regressions: one regression for a22 tie sample farmers ccxr.bined, cne regression for thirty trained farmers and the last cne for thirty r.cn trained farmers. The results frem the regression show extension training to he 3. significant factor in determining the level of farm output; together with other factors. Stage two of the analysis is an analysis of variance for sixty observations. The analysis here assumed a factorial design model. The results from there generally conform with the regress: cn results and more important, the results here indicate interactions of factors that work together to produce a given level of output. The findings of this study have in general revealed that among factors that influence the level of farm output extension education to farmers is one of those of considerable importance.