Determinants of adoption of improved wheat varieties and fertilizer use by smallholder farmers in Njoro and Kieni West, Divisions

Abstract

Kenya has the potential to produce enough wheat for its domestic consumption, but over the years wheat consumption has continued to outstrip local production thus, making Kenya a perennial net importer of wheat. Current annual wheat consumption is estimated at 600,000 metric tonnes against a production of 365,696 metric tonnes. Though low wheat productivity can be attributed to many factors, little is known about the attitudes to and adoption of improved wheat production technologies at farm level. This study therefore, intended to bridge this information gap by determining socioeconomic factors that influence farmer’s perception of technology-specific attributes of and response to wheat production technologies. A sample of 150 households from Njoro and Kieni divisions were sampled using multistage sampling procedure and a structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Results of Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance (W) show education level, distance to seed market, access to extension services, number of livestock units and family size correlated significantly with farmer’s perception of improved wheat varieties-specific attributes. Gender of household head, farmer’s experience, farm size, education level, number of livestock units and a household head’s affiliation to an organization correlated significantly with farmer’s perception of fertilizer-specific attributes. Results of Tobit models shows that, farmer’s Agro-Ecological Zone, farm size, farmer’s experience and distance to seed market influenced adoption and intensity of use of improved wheat varieties significantly. Farmer’s Agro-Ecological Zone, gender of household head and access to extension services influenced adoption and intensity of fertilizer use significantly. Decomposition of Tobit models revealed that marginal changes in an explanatory variable ceteris paribus, had higher effects on the probabilities of adoption than on intensity of adoption (use). Results of Spearman’s Coefficient of Rank Correlation (rs) show that, farmer’s perception of improved wheat varieties-specific attributes correlated significantly with adoption and intensity of use of improved wheat varieties. Farmer’s perception of fertilizer specific-attributes correlated significantly with adoption and intensity of fertilizer use. Results also showed that where the technology package is made up of separate components like seeds and fertilizer farmer’s attitudes to and adoption of the components are not at the same level. The study findings are useful to researchers, extension agents and policy makers. The study findings bridged the information gap and added to the existing body of knowledge of Agricultural Economics.