Determinants of Smallholder Farmers' Access to Agricultural Extension Channels and their Effects on Awareness and Compliance with Good Agricultural Practices in Kenya
Subject Areas : Information and communication technology in agriculture
James Mwangi
1
,
Preston Chitere
2
,
James Kariuki
3
1 - Department of Sociology, Social Work & African Women Studies. University of Nairobi
2 - Department of Sociology, Social Work & African Women Studies. University of Nairobi
3 - Department of Sociology, Social Work & African Women Studies.
University of Nairobi, Kenya
Keywords: awareness, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), Compliance, Access, Agriculture Extension Channels,
Abstract :
Although it is mandatory for smallholder farmers to comply with Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to participate in French bean farming for export, they lack uniformity in their farming practices. Available literature doesn't show whether farmers’ compliance with GAPs is affected by their choices of extension channels and their social status characteristics. A field survey was conducted among 115 farmers who were sampled systematically, and the data was collected by the use of questionnaires. The data were analyzed descriptively and by Chi-square, Pearson's correlation, and regression models to establish the association between social status characteristics of farmers versus extension channels accessed, and its influence on awareness and compliance with GAPs. The study found that farmers' level of access to extension channels had a significant influence on their level of awareness and compliance with GAPs. Field extension workers were the most effective channel of extension. Moreover, gender, asset scores, farm acreage under French beans and income from the sale of French beans were among the social characteristics with significant influence on the type and number of extension channels accessed by smallholder farmers. This study recommends that the dissemination of agricultural innovation messages to smallholder farmers should be guided by studying their social characteristics and paying attention to women and resource-poor farmers. innovation messages should be tailored along available channels of extension to enhance access by a diverse calibre of farmers.
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