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...
Abstract Investment on agriculture by countries is essential because it is core to every nation’s development. In Kenya, people particularly youth are involved in agriculture yet it attracts limited investment. This study which was aimed at highlighting age, gender participation and the role of literacy in small scale farming among the trained youth in Kiambu County, Kenya. This was mixed methods descriptive and cross sectional study that also employed triangulation to enhance confidence i...
Abstract The objective of the study was to determine the influence of earnings management on the financal performance of agricultural firms listed in Nairobi Securities Exchange. A descriptive survey research design was applied. A Census of all the 6 companies listed inNairobi Securities Exchange as at July 2014 to July 2019 constituted the study population. The study employed secondary data extracted from audited financial statements and individual companies annual report for the five year ...
Abstract: This research focuses on the SME's in the food processing industry in Kenya. Mainly due to the realization that the Agricultural sector especially with regard to food processing is still vastly unexploited and with great potential for contributing in the economic growth of this country. Adoption of Operations based strategies in the : processing of food products is key to realizing the contribution anticipated in this sector in terms of creation of employment and contribution to th...
Abstract: The need to diversify the economy so as to ensure sustainable economic growth has been of great concern. Accelerating productivity in agriculture is seen as one of the alternatives to support the diversification initiatives by the government and drive growth in Botswana. This study discusses the factors contributing to increased long term agricultural productivity and hence its subsequent impact on growth in the short. The study employs the vector error correction model and annual ...
Abstract: Demonstrating how agricultural research contributes to development outcomes is difficult but necessary given competing demands for scarce resources. This article summarises an adaptation of the “theory of change” approach and lessons derived from its application to improve the design and implementation of an agricultural research for development programme for greater impact. It was applied to Maziwa Zaidi, a programme that tested integrated interventions to catalyse the transfo...
Abstract: We estimate the impacts of a bundle of integrated pest management (IPM) practices on mango yield, mango net income, insecticide use, human health and the environment, using recent household survey data of mango growers in Kenya. We employ a multinomial endogenous switching treatment regression model with an ordered probit selection rule to establish counterfactual outcomes. Our results indicate that IPM-adopting farmers have higher mango yields and mango net income, and also use lo...