Influence of Sense of Community on Quality Seed Potato Adoption among Smallholder Farmers in Molo Sub County, Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

Globally, potato production has been declining over the past 50 years. The use of poor quality seed potato has contributed to the decline, especially among smallholder farmers in developing countries. In Kenya, despite government efforts to improve quality seed potato availability and access, adoption remains a challenge. This study therefore sought to explore the influence of Sense of Community (SOC) on quality seed potato adoption among smallholder farmers in Molo Sub County. This is because SOC has been found to influence community development in different contexts. The objectives included, to characterize SOC, to explore the influence of SOC components on quality seed potato adoption, to examine the influence of SOC variation by gender on quality seed potato adoption and to examine the influence of SOC variation by age on quality seed potato adoption among smallholder farmers in Molo Sub County. Theory of SOC and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) guided this research. Correlational research design was used in this study. Data was collected from a population of 6,000 smallholder potato farmers in the four wards of Molo Sub County. A total of 152 respondents were sampled using a multilevel sampling procedure. Semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from individual respondents and a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) guide was used to collect qualitative data from 12 knowledgeable farmers. A pilot study was conducted in Njoro Sub County to pretest the questionnaire, and it was found to be reliable with a Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient of α = .803. Descriptive statistics, factor analysis, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and logistic regression analysis were used in data analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Data from FGD was analyzed thematically and incorporated in the discussions. Factor analysis extracted four SOC components namely; shared emotional connection, integration and fulfillment of needs, membership and influence. Kruskal-Wallis H test revealed that SOC varied significantly by age, (p = .009). Logistic regression determined that SOC components had influence on quality seed potato adoption, especially the membership component (p = 0.012). Gender differences in SOC with regards to quality seed potato adoption was more significant among male (p = .022) than female farmers. SOC variation by age had no influence on quality seed potato adoption. Therefore, extension workers promoting quality seed potato adoption should prioritize strengthening group identity and fostering a sense of belonging among farmers considering group-specific needs and challenges.