Influence Of Social Networks On Agricultural Commercialization: Case Of Tissue Culture Banana In Murang’a County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Information asymmetry has been recognized as a major impediment to small holder agricultural commercialization in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Theoretical and empirical studies in economics and sociology argue that social networks are the most persuasive source of information about new products and behaviours, but governments in developing countries continue to rely on extension services, usually a set of external agents, to communicate with farmers about new technologies. Mixed modelling has been used in this analysis to describe the role of information sharing among banana farmers in enhancing banana commercialization. Social network analysis (SNA) methodology was used to illustrate the network structure revealed by small holder banana farmers in Murang‘a. Double Dekker semi-partialing multiple regression quadratic assignment procedure (MRQAP) was used to determine drivers to networking among the farmers. Ordinary least square approach has been used to determine the extent to which networking influences banana commercialization in the area. The network structure depicted is diversified and heterogeneous in composition. Male and female farmers jointly interact in the sharing of information. In terms of network diversity, alters range from neighbours, banana traders, same organisation members and friends with friendship network dominating the structure. Friendship, gender, group membership and neighbourhood (geographical proximity) were found to have an influence to resource sharing among the farmers. Resources sharing among group members and networking among male and female farmers had an impact on the degree of banana commercialization in the study area.