Assessment of smallholder adoption of quality protein maize in Kenya: The case of Kirinyaga County

Abstract

Low adoption of modern agricultural innovations amongst farmers in Keny a has been identified as the main reason for low agricultural productivity in the country. This paper examines the socioeconomic factors that influenc e the uptake of quality protein maize among smallholder farmers in Kirinyaga County of Kenya . Random sam pling technique was used to select respondents for the survey and primary data collected using structured questionnaires involved 100 farmers. The data was analyzed using SPSS software. The results from the multiple regression indicates socio economic char acteristics in Kirinyaga such as land own ership, family size and income contributes significantly to adoption of quality protein maize . A griculture was found to be the main source of income with ( 98 %). L ack of seed and the challenges of climate change were major constraints affecting agricultural production in the study areas. Results showed that adoption of agricultural innovations depends on farmers socioeconomic characteristics. Policy maker should therefore take advantage of these factors that influence adoption of quality protein maize positively and formulate policies .