dc.contributor.author | Magomere, Titus O | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2013-05-09T11:47:43Z | |
dc.date.available | 2013-05-09T11:47:43Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2003 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/20819 | |
dc.description.abstract | A survey was undertaken in Kakamega and Machakos districts of Kenya with the
aim of studying the factors influencing farmer participation in the adoption of
horticultural innovations. The study examined the role of farmer participation in
the adoption of better horticultural production practices, it investigated the
influence of farmer personal charactertstlcs on participation in horticultural
programmes and examined the influence of market accessibility to farmer
participation in horticultural improvement programmes in both districts. The two
districts were compared to explain the difference in participation in horticultural
extension. In the study each district was partitioned into five clusters based on
the agro ecological zones. Ten farmers were randomly selected from each
cluster to give a total sample of 100 farmers. A questionnaire was administered
to each of the respondents and the results were statistically analysed. The study
found out that farmers' participation in horticultural improvement programmes
positively influenced their adoption of improved farm practices in both study
districts, with farmers from Machakos showing higher participation scores thus
scoring higher in adoption of improved farm practices. The research found that
farmer personal charactenstics-craqe, marriage status and educational status)
influenced farmer participation in horticultural improvement programmes in both ..
districts. The study also found that accessibility to horticultural markets
encouraged farmers to participate in horticultural improvement programmes in
both districts, with the effect more pronounced in Machakos. Policy should focus
on setting up an agricultural extension service that encourages the participative
approach. These extension services should not be general for all the districts in
the country but rather they should be focused and specific for each district
depending on the characteristics of the farmers in the district, the infrastructure,
market accessibility, post harvest losses and type of the agricultural enterprise. | en |
dc.description.sponsorship | The University of Nairobi | en |
dc.language.iso | en | en |
dc.subject | Factors influencing farmer participation | en |
dc.subject | adoption of horticultural innovations in Kakamega | en |
dc.subject | Machakos districts of Kenya | en |
dc.title | Factors influencing farmer participation in the adoption of horticultural innovations in Kakamega and Machakos districts of Kenya | en |
dc.type | Thesis | en |
local.publisher | Department of sociology | en |