DSpace Repository :: Browsing by Author "Mogaka, Hezron R."

Browsing by Author "Mogaka, Hezron R."

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Adoption Determinants of Adapted Climate Smart Agriculture Technologies Among Smallholder Farmers in Machakos, Makueni, and Kitui Counties of Kenya
(2021-04) Muriithi, Lydia N.; Onyari, Charles N.; Mogaka, Hezron R.; Gichimu, Bernard M.; Gatumo, Geoffrey N.; Kwena, Kizito
The study examined the adoption determinants of adapted climate smart agriculture (CSA) technologies among smallholder farmers. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select a total sample of 384 households. Percentages and regression were employed in data analysis. The results revealed that 47.4% adapted to climate change using integrated farming system, intercropping, crop rotation and agroforestry. Sex (0.9%), education level (9.2%) significantly influenced adoption of the adaptation strategies. Moreover, information sources such as mobile phones (0.9%), and neighbors/friends (0.2%) negatively affected the adaptation strategies. Future policy should aim at creating more awareness through different information sources and provide local extension services.
Bringing Climate Smart Agriculture to Scale: Experiences from the Water Productivity Project in East and Central Africa
(IntechOpen, 2018-03) Mogaka, Hezron R.; Kwena, Kizito; Ademe, Fitih; Serge, Joseph; Asmerom, Nezeghty; Musana, Bernard; Razakamiaramanana, Razaka; Ruttoh, Reuben; Dereje, Assefa; Woldearegey, Kifle; Esilaba, Anthony; Emongor, Rosemary
Since 2010, six research organizations in the region have implemented a regional project that sought to combat food insecurity, poverty and climate change by up-scaling Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies across farms and landscapes using the Climate Smart Landscape (CSL) approach. Several CSA technologies were evaluated and promoted across landscapes using this approach with remarkable success. Maize yields in Kenya rose from 0.5 to 3.2 t ha-1, resulting in over 90% of the watershed communities being food secure. In Madagascar, rice yields increased from 2 to 4 t ha-1 whilst onion yields increased from 10 to 25 t ha-1, resulting in watershed communities being 60% food-secure. In Eritrea, sorghum yields increased from 0.6 to 2 t ha-1. Farmers in Ethiopia earned US$10,749 from the sale of pasture whilst in Madagascar, watershed communities earned additional income of about US$2500/ha/year from the sale of onions and potatoes during off-season. Adoption levels of various CSA technologies rose from less than 30% to over 100% across the participating countries, resulting in rehabilitation of huge tracts of degraded land. In a nutshell, the potential for CSL in the region is huge and if exploited could significantly improve our economies, lives and environment.
Determinants of Farmers’ Knowledge on Soil and Water Conservation Technologies in Dry Zones of Central Highlands, Kenya
(Journal of Agricultural Extension, 2021-10) Njenga, Maureen W.; Mugwe, Jayne N.; Mogaka, Hezron R.; Nyabuga, George; Oduor, Nathan; Kiboi, Milka; Ngetich, Felix; Mucheru-Muna, Monicah; Sijali, Isaya; Mugendi, Daniel
This study ascertained the socioeconomic determinants of farmers’ knowledge on soil and water conservation technologies in Dry zones of Central Highlands of Kenya involving 400 farming households. Results showed that the majority of the farmers had inadequate knowledge on the use and benefits of soil and water conservation technologies. The socio-economic factors that influence knowledge levels of the knowledge-intensive technologies were education level, gender, perceptions on soil fertility, farmer group membership, access to training, farm size, access to credit, number of livestock kept and access to farm equipment. This implies that there is the need to come up with an all-inclusive policy that can be employed in improving farmer’s level of knowledge through the use of more innovative methods of information dissemination. This can be done by strengthening the existing farmer groups, enhancing extension services, and also formulating gender-friendly policies.
Enhancing response farming for improved strategic and tactical agronomic management of risks of seasonal rainfall variability
(AJOL, 2014) Admassu, H.; Mahoo, H. F.; Rwehumbiza, F. B. R.; Tumbo, S. D.; Mogaka, Hezron R.
Seasonal rainfall variability, particularly the uncertainty with respect to the direction and extent that variability will assume in a given season, forms the greatest source of risk to crop production in semi-arid areas of Ethiopia. Equipping vulnerable communities, in advance, with the expected date of onset of a cropping season, is crucial for smallholder farmers to better prepare to respond and manage the uncertainties. Therefore, rainfall prediction, particularly development of models that can foretell the date of onset of next cropping season is crucial in facilitating strategic agronomic planning and tactical management of in-season risks. A twenty-four-year climatic data study was conducted for Melkassa Agricultural Research Centre (MARC) in semi arid Ethiopia, to develop onset date prediction models that can improve strategic and tactical response farming (RF). A sequential simulation model for a build up of 15 to 25 mm soil water by April 1st, was conducted. Simulation results revealed a build up of soil water up to 25 mm, to be the most risk-wise acceptable time of season onset for planting of a 150-day maize crop. In the context of response farming, this was desirable as it offers the opportunity for farmers to consider flexible combination production of maize (Zea mays L.) varieties of 120 and 90 days in the event of failure of earliest sown 150-day maize crop. Thus, to allow for flexible combination production of the three maize varieties, predictive capacity was found crucial for April onset of the next crop season. Accordingly, based on the consideration of pre-onset rainfall parameters, the first effective rainfall date varied considerably with the date of onset of rainfall. Regression analyses revealed the first effective rainfall date to be the best predictor of the date of onset (R2 = 62.5%), and a good indicator of the duration of next season (R2 = 42.4%). The identified strategic predictor, the first effective rainfall date, enabled prediction of time of season onset and season length by a lead time of two to three months. This markedly improved Stewart’s RF. The date of onset of the next crop season was also found to be a useful predictor of season duration (R2 = 87.3%). Strategic agronomic planning should be adjusted according to the first effective rain date, and tactically according to what date of rainfall onset informs us about expectations in the duration and total season water supply.
Extension training for banana value addition among smallholder farmers in Meru and Tharaka-Nithi counties, Kenya
(Academic Journals, 2021-04) Kirimi, Florence K.; Nyambane, Charles O.; Njeru, Lucy K.; Mogaka, Hezron R.
Extension training is intended to increase the efficiency and performance of the human resource that acts responsibly in a society based on a communication interaction with knowledge sources. The main objective of this study was to assess the effect of training farmers on banana value addition among smallholder farmers in Meru and Tharaka-Nithi counties. The study adopted a pragmatic paradigm and a cross-sectional survey design and sampled 370 and 30 farmers proportionately obtained from 269,499 and 19,303 smallholder banana farmers in Meru and Tharaka-Nithi counties, respectively. Structured and semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data from the respondents. Secondary data were obtained from official extension and production records in the two counties as well as related literature. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics to determine frequencies, percentages and means. Regression analysis was conducted to examine relationships between the study variables. The results revealed that there was an association between training farmers on the various method of banana value addition and adoption of selected banana value addition technologies was statistically significant at 1% level of significance (p-value = 0.000<0.01,  =156.391, df 1). The study concludes that farmers having a preferred facilitator in training positively influenced the adoption of banana value addition technologies. The study recommends the government should create and implement policies such as collaborating with high learning institution like universities and set days where they will be training farmers on various methods of banana value addition.
Extension-Market Linkages on Banana Commercialisation Among Smallholder Farmers in Meru Region, Kenya
(2022-01) Kirimi, Florence K.; Onyari, Charles N.; Njeru, Lucy K.; Mogaka, Hezron R.
The study examined the effect of extension-market linkages on banana commercialisation among smallholder farmers in the Meru region, Kenya. The study sampled 400 farmers from a target population of 288,802 from the Meru region. The Tobit model was used to analyse the effect of extension-market linkages on banana commercialisation. The results revealed that sources of marketing information (Coef. -0.06) had a negative influence on farmers commercialising banana production. The result showed that the reliability of local extension service providers in enabling farmer’s access to market information (Coef. 0.04) had a positive influence on farmers commercialising banana production. The findings also showed that users of marketing information in the commercialisation banana business (Coef. 0.63) had a positive influence on farmers commercialising banana production. The study concludes that there was an association between extension marketing linkages and banana commercialization among smallholder farmers in Meru region, Kenya. Government should create and implement more policies that will favour and encourage farmers to commercialise bananas. This will help farmers increase their income.
Factors Affecting Multiple Climate Change Adaptation Practices of Smallholder Farmers in lower Eastern Kenya
(Journal of Agricultural Extension, 2021-10) Mogaka, Hezron R.; Muriithi, Lydia
The study investigated the socioeconomic and institutional factors influencing uptake of multiple climate change adaptation practices among smallholder farmers in lower Eastern Kenya. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 384 small-scale farmers. Percentage and regression were used in the analysis. Among the socio-economic factors, gender positively and significantly influenced adoption of conservation agriculture and water harvesting at 5%, respectively. Among the institutional factors, distance to markets positively or negatively influenced uptake of all the technologies at 1% and 5%, respectively. Due to complementarity in adoption of all the seven adaptation practices, age and distance to nearest markets should be considered during technology dissemination. The study, therefore, calls for agricultural policy reforms that aim at designing incentive programmes which adequately address most of the socioeconomic and institutional issues related to uptake of adaptation practices as well as encouraging off-farm diversification.
Optimizing use of integrated soil fertility management options for profitable groundnut production in Uganda
(2014-09) Semalulu, O.; Mugonola, B.; Bonabana-Wabbi, J.; Mogaka, Hezron R.; Kayanga, S.T.
Soil fertility decline is a major constraint to groundnut production in Uganda. Whereas options exist to address this constraint, many have not been adopted by smallholder farmers. This study was designed to demonstrate the profitability of different integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies in light of smallholder farmer conditions. On-farm experiments were set up in Mbale, Tororo and Bukedea districts of Uganda, with different inorganic fertilizer and farmyard manure (FYM) combinations and four groundnut varieties: Etesot, Red beauty, Serenut 2 and Serenut 3. Results revealed that under the ISFM options considered, Serenut 3 and Red beauty were the most profitable varieties. Serenut 3 and Red beauty posted positive gross margins for all treatments including the control. However, Serenut 2 posted negative gross margins across all treatments while Etesot had negative gross margins for the control and at 4.37 kg P ha-1plus FYM. The optimum combination of fertilizer occurred at8.73 kg P ha-1 for red beauty and 4.37 kg P ha-1+ 2 t FYM for Serenut 3, suggesting that blanket recommendations of ISFM interventions on groundnuts irrespective of variety, are not advisable owing to different varietal responses to ISFM interventions, different production costs and price of the groundnuts.
Staff Profile: Dr. Hezron Rasugu Mogaka
(University of Embu, 2019-04) Mogaka, Hezron R.
I am a Kenyan citizen with extensive experience in natural resources management. I have fast experience working for Non-State and State agencies as well as international organizations. I have previously served as a consultant of the World Bank in the development of Phase II of Lake Victoria Environmental Management Program (LVEMP II), a Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, and as a regional Programme Manager for Natural Resources Management at the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA). Research Interests: (i) Economics of natural resources (ii) Climate change adaptation and mitigation (iii) Policy analysis
Stakeholders’ diverging interests and emerging resource use conflicts in apiculture in West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania
(2013-10) Kimaro, D. N.; Sinyangwe, J.; Mbeyale, G. E.; Kajembe, G. C.; Mogaka, Hezron R.
study was conducted in West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania to assess stakeholders diverging interests and emerging resource use conflicts in apiculture with respect to natural resource management (NRM) by local communities. The study aimed at generating knowledge base for effective governance of NRM by farmers from which lessons could be drawn for guiding appropriate NRM. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools including focused group discussion, questionnaire survey and participant observation were used for data collection from 98 respondents randomly selected. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Results show that majority of individual small scale farmers (73%) were driven by social economic interests than NRM. On the other hand, farmers’ groups (10%) showed high interest in both economic and conservation of natural resources followed by faith based organisations (FBOs) (7%). Stakeholders’ diverging interests in apiculture were significantly influenced by educational level (p=0.010); household size (p=0.006); marital status (p=0.011) and major economic activities (p=0.029). The most prevalent conflicts in the study area were between farmers practising apiculture and fellow farmers (74%) followed by neighbours (16%). The study demonstrated that for small scale farmers to engage in NRM, economic interest is vital. Recommendations on areas of further intervention are given.

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