ABSTRACT Fish farming continues to be the fast growing animal production industry and this rate of expansion must continue if aquaculture was to satisfy global demand for fish products. Kitui County which is largely arid and semi-arid land has not been left out in ensuring that fish farming develops to bridge the gap as a source of alternative livelihood to the local community. The main objective of the research study was to determine marketing strategies of commercial fish farming in Kitui C...
ABSTRACT: Agriculture is the cornerstone of Kenya’s economy with most households depending on it for food and livelihood. Women provide the largest share of agricultural labour in many households. Despite the important role that women play, they are discriminated in the area of access to and control over the agricultural benefits. In agriculture, tea farming was the main foreign exchange earner in the year 2011. But despite the important role tea farming plays in Kenya, there are gender ine...
ABSTRACT Despite the apparent importance of the dairy sub-sector to Kenya’s economy, the sector is plagued with low milk production. The general objective of the study was to assess dairy performance among the small-scale farmers in Meru County. The specific objectives were (i) to characterize small-scale dairy farmers; (ii) to assess the profitability of small-scale dairy enterprises; and (iii) to determine the factors influencing profitability among small-scale dairy farmers in Meru Coun...
ABSTRACT The coffee sector plays a significant role to Kenya‟s economy. The sector contributes to foreign exchange earnings, household incomes, employment and food security. The industry supports about 700,000 households comprising of 535 coffee cooperative societies for the development and marketing of coffee. A new concept in marketing all over the world has been the adoption of certification standards which are becoming increasingly popular in Kenya; currently there are about four cert...
ABSTRACT The study examined socio-cultural changes in the farming and use of Miraa (Catha edulis) in Igembe District of Meru County in Kenya from 1940-2014. The Meru comprises of nine sub-ethnic groups namely Chuka, Muthambi, Mwimbi, Igoji, Miutine, Imenti, Tigania, Igembe and Tharaka. Miraa is grown intensively in Meru by the Igembe and Tigania sub-ethnic groups. It is of prime economic importance for the region as it feeds a growing national and international market. However, it is a ...
ABSTRACT Banana farming is a practice carried out in many countries in the world for commercial and subsistence purpose. India is the world largest producer of banana and Uganda the second. However, Uganda is the leading producer of banana in Africa. On the other hand, Kenya is one of the countries practicing banana farming with several regions in the country growing the crop for subsistence and local markets. Meru County, specifically Imenti South sub-County, has embraced this activity ...
ABSTRACT Agriculture is a dominant sector of the Kenyan economy and contributes 25 percent of the GDP. Being the highest foreign exchange earner Growth is anticipated to propel the fulfillment of the 2030 vision. In line with the GoK initiatives various government agencies have initiated irrigation projects over the years, in particular small scale irrigation projects with great emphasis on sustainable development. So that food supply in the country is safe, the government has advocated for m...
xiii ABSTRACT Climate variability is an emerging phenomenon that is threatening dairy farming globally. The dairy-climate change dilemma in Kenya cannot be mistaken. However, extensive research into dairy farming and an understanding of the dynamics of climate variability effects is greatly lacking.The study investigated the effects of climate variability on dairy farming in Masaba North Sub-county of Nyamira County, Kenya. The main objective was to determine the effects of climate variabilit...
ABSTRACT Marginal mixed farming households are prone to frequent drought and hardly meet their food intake requirements which make the under-five children more vulnerable to malnutrition. The purpose of this study was to establish the determinants of nutritional status of children aged 6-59 months in marginal mixed farming households in Ntugi location, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. A sample of 106 households was randomly selected for data collection. Structured questionnaires, key informa...
ABSTRACT The study analyzed the use of fish farming technologies by fadama III fish farmers in Imo State. The specific objectives included to: describe the socioeconomic characteristics of fish farmers under Fadama III in the state; identify sources of information of the fishery technologies to the farmers; ascertain the fishery technologies used under the Fadama III in the study area; determine the level of use of fishery technologies in Imo State; determine effects of use of fishery techno...
ABSTRACT The study analyzed organic farming practices among rural households in SouthSouth Nigeria. The study determined the level of awareness and use of organic farming practices in the study are, identified the sources of information on organic farming practices; assessed farmers perceived benefits of organic farming practices; identified constraints to organic farming and determined strategies for the improvement of organic farming practices. Data were collected with structured questionn...
ABSTRACT Studies have documented many negative social, economic and environmental implications of tobacco farming. Tobacco farming puts an extra stress on ecosystems and causes specific health and socio-economic problems for poor populations engaged in the activity. Through research, environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative crops to tobacco farming such as soya beans, watermelons, sweet potatoes, groundnuts, cabbages, among others, have been identified. However, the rate and ...
ABSTRACT Cassava is an important food crop in small-holder farming systems in DR. Congo. Due to the limited use of organic and inorganic inputs, soil fertility becomes a major problem in cassava production systems. Inorganic inputs for small-holder farmers are often too expensive to apply at optimal rates and combining use of organic and inorganic fertilizer inputs is a suitable management principle for small-holder farmers. A study involving 15 households was carried out in DR. Congo with th...
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to assess the contribution of women small-scale farmers on rural household‟s poverty reduction. Specifically, the study aimed to get a better understanding on the roles, contributions and constraints of women smallscale farming in rural areas and their implications on poverty reduction and food security at household level. The study was undertaken in Dodoma Region, Tanzania, whereby Mpwapwa District with the predominantly small-scale subsistence agric...
The large scale maize farming is often faces diverse risks that undermine the financial viability of the farming venture. These risks include variability in prices occasioned by changes in market factors, risks of pests, climate change, theft, low yield and poor seed quality. These risks work to undermine the financial performance of the large scale maize farming. This study sought to examine the manner in which enterprise risk management practices impacts on the financial performance of comm...