Determinants of Adoption and Performance of Greenhouse Technology among Smallholder Tomato Farmers in North Rift Region, Kenya
- October 24, 2019
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: Economics, IJRISS
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue X, October 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186
Ann Cherotich1*, Daniel Kipruto Tuitoek2, Edwin Kipyego Kipchoge3, Silas Kiprono Samoei4
1,2,4Department of Agricultural Economics and Resource Management, Moi University, Kenya
3Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Eldoret, Kenya
*Corresponding author
Abstract: One of the most widely grown vegetables in Kenya is tomato, which is grown mainly for domestic consumption and sales at local markets. It is also an important cash crop for small-scale growers with potential for increasing incomes in rural areas, improving standards of living and creating employment opportunities. Greenhouse technology is one of the methods which can be used to increase tomato yield and by extension income for the farmer. Despite the importance, farmers in North Rift region hardly adopt this technology and further few studies if any have been done to establish the reason for low adoption of greenhouse technology. Therefore, this study aimed at analyzing the factors influencing the adoption of greenhouse technology among smallholder tomato farmers in North Rift region. Specific objectives were to determine the factors influencing the adoption and performance of greenhouse technology among smallholder tomato farmers in North Rift region. The target population were all smallholder tomato farmers in North Rift region. A survey research design was used in the study. Purposive, proportionate, multistage, simple random and systematic sampling techniques were used to select 384 respondents for the study. Data was collected by use of structured questionnaires and analyzed using STATA V12. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analyses. Both probit and bivariate probit models were estimated to achieve the objectives of the study. Results indicated that social factors such as age, gender, education level and farm experience affected adoption of greenhouse technology among smallholder tomato farmers in North Rift region (p – value 0.0000 < 0.05). The study also indicated that economic factors such as farm income, farm size, and land tenure determined adoption of greenhouse technology among smallholder tomato farmers in North Rift region (p – value 0.0000 < 0.05). The study also revealed that institutional factors such as access to credit, availability of extension service and frequency of extension visits determined adoption of Greenhouse technology among smallholder tomato farmers in North Rift region (p – value 0.0000 < 0.05). It is recommended that the government should empower farmers through training, introduction of cost sharing programs and increase access to extension and credit services so as to enable them commercialize tomato production and hence increase adoption of greenhouse technology and thus improve their livelihoods.
Key Words: North Rift region, Kenya, Smallholder Farmer, Greenhouse
