Influence of Access to Institutional Factors on the Use of Certified Seed Potatoes among Smallholder Potato Farmers in Kipipiri Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Extension services delivery remains a key driver in farmers’ uptake and use of improved farming technologies and innovations. Availability and access to certified seed multipliers increase the chances of smallholder potato farmers’ uptake and use of certified seed technologies and practices. Furthermore, access to credit services increases farmers’ financial capability to purchase and use certified seed potatoes. This is common in rural areas, which subsistence smallholder farmers predominantly occupy. Empirical evidence suggests that certified seed potatoes are critical in boosting potato yield, increasing income, and improving nutrition and food security at the household level. Nevertheless, smallholder potato farmers in Kipipiri Sub-County have recorded low potato yields in the recent past. Most of these farmers have limited access to certified seed potatoes. They, therefore, reuse their own saved seeds. Without access to certified seed potatoes, smallholder potato farmers are more likely to use seeds from their own stores, which are of poor quality or infested with pests and diseases. Reusing poor-quality seed potatoes decreases farm yields. Consequently, smallholder potato farmers may be compelled to focus on cultivating potatoes for subsistence, potentially jeopardizing the development of the small-farm sector in the long run. This study sought to determine the influence of access to institutional factors on the use of Certified Seed Potatoes among smallholder potato farmers in Kipipiri Sub-County, Kenya. The study's target population was 48000 smallholder farmers, while the accessible population consisted of 2500 actively engaged in potato production in the Sub-County. One hundred and six (106) smallholder potato farmers participated in this study. Semi-structured questionnaires with established reliability and validity were used to collect data from the respondents. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 25 to run descriptive and inferential statistics. Binary logistic regression was used to establish the relationship between access to institutional factors and the use of CSPs for the rejection or acceptance of the null hypotheses at a 5% level of significance. It was found that access to extension services was significantly associated with the use of CSPs. Further, access to certified seed multipliers and credit were found to be significantly related to the use of CSPs among smallholder potato farmers in Kipipiri Sub County, Kenya. This study recommends implementing seed multiplication policies, supporting research and training centers, facilitating credit among farmers, and supporting young people to venture into the seed multiplication business