Browsing by Author "Ogeto, Robert M."

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    Influence of institutional factors on Sorghum production in Nakuru County, Kenya
    (Academe Research Journals, 2012-12) Ogeto, Robert M.; Mshenga, Patience; Cheruiyot, Erick; Onyari, Charles N.
    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 items for many households, hence underlining their importance in ensuring food security. In particular, the utility of sorghum is in its climatic adaptability and household as well as industrial use. Hence it is not only a food security crop, but also a major income earner. Despite its utility, there is a remarkably low production of sorghum among Kenyan farmers against food security challenges. This paper provides insights into the institutional characteristics of farmers and how they influence their participation in its production. The institutional factors under study included access to sorghum seed, access to credit, access to contract farming, access to market information and group membership. Simple random and snowball sampling methods were applied in collecting data from 207 farmers using a questionnaire. Data collected was analyzed by the double hurdle model. Only access to seed, access to extension, access to market information and access to group membership were significantly influencing sorghum production in the study area. It was recommended that seed companies should avail improved sorghum varieties and farmers are encouraged to adopt them. There was also need for stakeholders to institutionalize access to extension, contract farming and group membership among farmers.
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    Sorghum production for food security: A socioeconomic analysis of sorghum production in Nakuru County, Kenya
    (Academic Journals, 2013-12-05) Ogeto, Robert M.; Cheruiyot, Erick; Mshenga, Patience; Onyari, Charles N.
    Kenya’s Vision 2030 identifies agriculture as one of the key sectors to deliver sustainable economic growth and improved livelihoods for the poor in the rural areas. However, the sector continues to face several endemic and emerging constraints that require special attention. During the first two decades after independence, Kenya’s economy grew at an average rate of 6 percent per year and this was substantially driven by a robust agriculture sector. However, until about five years ago, the overall economy barely grew, partly as a result of a decline in agricultural activities. The agriculture sector continues to face challenges in production due to frequent and prolonged drought hence the need for drought resistant crops like sorghum. The utility of sorghum is in its climatic adaptability and household as well as industrial use. However, there is a remarkably low production as well as consumption among Kenyan communities against the food security challenges. This paper provides insights into the socio-economic characteristics of farmers and the factors that influence their participation in its production. Simple random and snowball sampling methods were applied in collecting data from 207 farmers using a questionnaire. Data collected was analyzed using the double hurdle model. Of the factors under study, only land tenure, gender, farm size and educational level were significantly influencing sorghum production in the study area. It was recommended that more women should be encouraged to participate in sorghum production as it was found that they participated in sorghum production more than men.