Theses and Dissertations- Doctor of Philosophy

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://172.16.31.117:4000/handle/123456789/18

Browse

Browsing Theses and Dissertations- Doctor of Philosophy by Subject "Agrometeorological information access"

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Agrometeorological information access and adaptation to climate variability nexus: case of smallholder sorghum farmers in Busia County, Kenya
    (Egerton University, 2024-09) Atsiaya, Obwina Godfrey
    Significant losses among Kenyan farmers have been attributed to seasonal patterns and disruptions due to climate change. The provision of agrometeorological information as a countermeasure has been constrained by the accessibility and application of the information in adaptation to climate variability. This study aimed to improve the socio-economic welfare of smallholder sorghum farmers in Busia County by enhancing access to and application of agrometeorological information in climate risk mitigation. The study targeted small-scale farmers who are most vulnerable to climate variability and also focused on a traditional crop which has received limited attention in CSA studies. A multistage sampling technique was used to sample 423 smallholder sorghum farmers. Primary data was collected through face-to-face interviews using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. A Multivariate Probit model was used to assess the factors influencing farmers' choice for agrometeorological information pathways. A binary logistic model was used to determine the influence of socio-economic, institutional, and climate-related factors on access to agrometeorological information. A Poisson regression method was used to evaluate the factors affecting the uptake of climate-smart agricultural practices. Finally, an Endogenous Switching Regression Model was used to assess the effect of agrometeorological information access, and socio-economic and institutional factors on adaptation to climate variability among smallholder sorghum farmers. The results indicate that sorghum farmers mostly used radio, television extension, and mobile internet as weather information pathways. Farmers were found to implement an average of 2 CSA practices. Literacy was associated with the use of television and mobile internet to access CSA information. Proximity to meteorological stations increases the probability of access to agrometeorological information by 8%. The use of Indigenous knowledge and trust in agrometeorological information increased the uptake of CSA practices by 0.119 and 0.229 units respectively. Failure to adapt CSA was associated with a lower sorghum yield with a projected mean decrease of 0.88 in yield. Similarly, adaption was associated with an income increase of 1.37. The findings of this study reveal the need for sensitizing sorghum farmers on the importance of adopting CSA practices such as drought-tolerant varieties, early maturing varieties, irrigation, water harvesting agroforestry among others to enhance their full-scale uptake, improve yield, and contribute to food and nutritional security. This can be enhanced through policies that strengthen agrometeorological information dissemination to small-scale farmers to enhance accessibility and applicability.