Abstract The study examined how multiple factors influence participation of farmers in Weather Index Insurance WII in Embu County, Kenya. Data wer e collected from a sample of 401 smallholders following multi stage sampling technique The study employed the Cragg ’s Double Hurdle model in determining factors that influence participation and extent of participation in WII. Results revealed th at short rain season, household size, land size, perception of the household head on WII , owners h ...
Abstract The study investigated the factors influencing adoption of improved cultivars of macadamia (Macadamia spp.) among small-scale farmers in Embu County, Kenya. Data was collected from a sample of 384 small-scale farmers obtained through multistage sampling procedure in ten sub-locations. Binary Logit model was used to determine the effect of selected institutional and socio-economic factors on adoption of improved cultivars of macadamia. The results revealed that education level (wald=...
Abstract This paper examined the factors influencing rice productivity in Mwea Irrigation Scheme using the System of rice intensification (SRI) and conventional flooding (CF). Stratified sampling was used to obtain 364 smallholder rice farmers for interviewing. Data collection was done with the aid of a semistructured questionnaire and analyzed using the Endogenous Switching regression Model (ESRM). The results of ESRM revealed that factors such as household size, access to extension service...
Abstract This study evaluated the financial factors influencing growth of horticultural sector in Nakuru County, Kenya. Of particular interest was the extent to which credit access and working capital affected the growth of horticultural firms. The study reviewed adverse selection theory and organizational theory of growth. A cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. The study targeted the 300 accounts, finance, and management staff working with the registered horticultural farms i...
Abstract Land fragmentation is a common agricultural phenomenon in many countries where a single large farm is subdivided into a large number of separate small land plots. This paper is based on a study that was carried out to evaluate the impact of land fragmentation on food security in three agroecological zones (AEZs) of Embu County in Kenya from January to November 2016. The study used data collected from 384 farm-households that were randomly selected from three AEZs in the Embu County,...
Abstract Agriculture in Kenya plays an important role in development as it contributes about 24% of GDP, 75% of industrial raw materials and 60% of export earnings and about 18% of the total formal employment. It also employs about 3.8 million people in farm, livestock production and fishing, while an estimated 4.5 million other people are employed in agriculture-related off-farm activities. Cereals including maize, sorghum, millet, and wheat among others largely constitute the major food it...
In an attempt to boost sorghum production, the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute in Ghana, over the years, has released a number of improved sorghum varieties to farmers in northern Ghana. The purpose of this study was to estmate the level of adoption, and to identify the factors that influenced the adoption of the improved sorghum varieties, using a probit model. It was found that age, available family labour, non-farm income, farmers' perception about the varieties, farm size and far...
Abstract corporate reputation and the performance of hotels in Kenya. The study design used was crosssectional descriptive utilizing the mixed approach. The target that served as the study population, was General Managers of all the 4-star hotels in Kenya. Primary data was collected by the use of a selfadministered semi-structured questionnaire and secondary data from hotel records, journals, and government publications. Data analysis involved qualitative and quantitative techniques, analyse...
Abstract Mangrove forests provide harvestable wood and non-wood resources to human society globally. The current study evaluated value chain of mangrove wood products from Lamu, Kenya, and how these impacts on resources’ sustainability. Results show that, exploitation of mangrove wood products in Kenya involves several actors, including national regulator, licensees, cutters, transporters, stockists and the consumers. Based on the differences between allowable and harvest data, Lamu mangro...
Abstract Background and Objective: Spontaneous temporal and spatial interspecific hybridization between crops and their weedy progenitors may have potential environmental risks and implications in the adoption of genetically modified crops. This study determined the pattern of gene flow from S. bicolor to S. halepense, S. sudanense and S. bicolor ssp. verticilliflorum in open-pollinated field plots. Materials and Methods: Concentric field designs were planted to evaluate the pattern of gene ...
Abstract Access to finance is critical to growth as well as development of small and micro enterprises (SMEs) .Most of the SMEs rely on commercial banks for financing of their enterprises. At times collateral requirement could deter some entrepreneurs from acquiring finances which could interrupt business growth as well as development. This study sought to investigate the effect of collateral requirement on financial performance of agribusiness small and micro enterprises in Nyeri Central Su...
Abstract Tea plays an important role in Kenya as it contributes about 26% of foreign exchange earnings and supports approximately five million people. Since independence, the Tea Industry has experienced rapid growth in acreage under tea production and in both export volumes and incomes. The smallholder tea sub-sector accounts for about 60% of the Kenyan tea production. Despite this state, the cost of production has also been on the increase. However, even as the percentage return to the far...
Abstract A review of empirical literature demonstrates the link between learning organization and firm performance. However, mediating role of learning organization in the relationship between knowledge management and firm performance has not been established using large manufacturing firms. This study was motivated by the desire to fill this gap in knowledge. The study examined mediating role of learning organization in the relationship between knowledge management and non-financial measure...
Abstract Kenyan tea though acclaimed globally as a high quality product available all year round continues to face growing competition both regionally and globally. This has resulted to a decline in its market share in the global market. The main objective of the study was to examine the influence of strategic market development practices on competiveness of Kenyan Tea in the global market. The study used cross-sectional survey design to collect both qualitative and quantitative data from th...
Abstract Despite the increasing consumer demand for indigenous eggs, particularly among the urban rich in Kenya, empirical analysis of spatial market integration has received limited attention. This study is an attempt to analyze the existence of market integration and price transmission among four selected indigenous egg markets. The study uses secondary data obtained on prices of eggs on a weekly basis during the year 2014. Analysis of Cointegration and Granger causality was attained using...