Browsing by Author "Taiy, Rael Jepkemei"

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    Climate Change Challenges and Knowledge Gaps in Smallholder Potato Production: The Case of Mauche Ward in Nakuru County, Kenya
    (Egerton University, 2017-08) Taiy, Rael Jepkemei
    This paper explores the climate change challenges, adaptation strategies and knowledge gaps in smallholderpotato production in Mauche Ward of Nakuru County, Kenya. Understanding climate change challenges is important in the efforts to build resilience and enhance adaptation among smallholder farmers. Simple random sampling was used to select 150 smallholder potato farmers to participate in a household survey and data analyzed using SPSS. To triangulate the findings, purposive sampling was used to select 76 potato value chain (VC) stakeholders to participate in a brainstorming session in a workshop. Results showed that ncreasing rainfall is reported but the onset is unpredictable.Excess water runoff damages the road network and transportation of potatoes to the market is expensive. Increasing rainfall also causes severe soil erosion on the farms hence reduced soil fertility as well as rampant incidence of potato pests and diseases which calls for further investment on pesticides and fungicides. Results further indicate that flood increase affects quality of water sources which has a negative impact on human health and expected returns to agriculture. However, the household survey respondents lacked a clear perception of the indicators of climate change. They exhibited inability to obtain climate change information from available sources. There was evidence of lack of training and unclear knowledge acquisition on climate change given that a majority of the respondents (50.7 %) reported not having received any training. The study recommends involvement of farmers in collective learning processes to develop and integrate crop, soil and water management intensification strategies. This ensures sustainability of climate change adaptation efforts in smallholder potato production. Any efforts to address climate change challenges in smallholder potato production must be complemented by investments in rural transportation infrastructure and storage facilities. KEYWORDS: Climate Change Adaptation, Knowledge, Potato & Smallholder
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    Integration of climate change adaptation strategies in smallholder potato production through a collective Learning community in Mauche ward, Nakuru County, Kenya
    (Egerton University, 2017-09) Taiy, Rael Jepkemei
    Global warming has led to intensity of extreme events that affect agricultural production worldwide, and sub-Sahara Africa in particular, where economies are highly dependent on agriculture and adoption of modern technology is low. Kenyan agriculture is vulnerable to climate-induced risks and uncertainty manifested in low crop yields. Although potato is a food security and cash crop for many smallholder farmers in Mauche Ward of Nakuru County, its production is affected by variability in rainfall patterns, increased pests and diseases and postharvest loses associated with climate change (CC). This study sought to enhance CC resilience and adaptation capacities of smallholder potato farmers by building their capacity to integrate selected crop, soil and water management intensification strategies in potato production through a Collective Learning Community (CLC) in Mauche Ward. The study adopted both Survey research and Participatory Action Research designs. The study population comprised of all smallholder potato farmers in Mauche Ward. Simple random sampling was used to select 150 smallholder potato farmers to participate in a survey. One active potato Common Interest Croup comprising of 30 farmers was purposively selected to implement the CC adaptation strategies. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire, checklists and topic guides validated by experts in the Department of Agricultural Education and Extension. Cronbach‘s Alpha coefficient was used to test reliability of the questionnaire. A reliability coefficient of 0.86 was obtained. Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used in quantitative data analysis to test the Null Hypothesis at 5% level of significance. Analytical tools and procedures employed to obtain qualitative data included Potato Value Chain (VC) Analysis, Problem Tree Analysis, Stakeholder Analysis, Net-Map toolbox, Multi-Criteria Analysis and Brainstorming. Multiple Linear Regression was used to analyze quantitative data. The study revealed that CC negatively affects smallholder potato production. Challenges affecting the potato VC were inadequate knowledge on climate change adaptation strategies, limited access to clean seed and lack of collective marketing. There is need to promote participatory research and joint innovation in a CLC to enhance capacity building of farmers, stakeholder networking, CC knowledge generation and dissemination as well as ensuring sustainable utilization of research findings. Positive selection to improve availability of clean potato seed and streamlining of potato marketing are requisite to integration of CC adaptation strategies in potato production.