INFLUENCE OF FARM SIZE AND ACCESS TO FUNDS ON UPTAKE OF IMPROVED PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES IN AVOCADO (PERSEA AMERICANA) FARMING, KENYA

Abstract

The study was carried out to evaluate influence of economic factors  on uptake of  avocado improved production technologies by small scale  farmers to increase yields. The study was carried out in Kisii and Nyamira counties region, Kenya.The general objective of the study is to improve avocado production in the study region. The specific objective is to evaluated influence of farmer’s economic factors; farm size and access to finance on upake of the production technologies, respectively. Reduced avocado yields in the region could be due to low uptake of improved  production technologies by  small scale farmers. The study hypothesised that the low  uptake could be due to  chance and there is no  significant influence  of the farmer’s economic factors; farm size and access to funds  on  the  uptake. Descriptive survey  research design  was used. Stratified and  purposive sampling  procedures and Morgan’s table of sample size determination  were applied in chosing of respondents. There was one sub-county  purposively sampled from each  of  the 4 agroecological zones in the region for study area. Thus from 4 sub  counties with 1,211  house holds, a sample of 291 respondents was accessed  using Morgan’s table. Reliable structured questionnaires with  Cronbach Alpha, α=0.724 were  used to collect  field data from 291  small scale avocado farmers.The data was analysed using statistical package for social sciences (SSP) computer software. Descriptive,  analysis of variance, least significant difference and regression outputs were obtained. Results show that influence of  farmer’s farm size of more than 3 acres and access of funds from formal employment make significant  difference and have positive correlation with uptake of avocado improved production technologies, respectively. Farmer’s access of funds from banks or SACCOs  does not  have  a significant  influence on uptake of the avocado production technologies. Land subdivsion among small scale farmers should be discouraged and and affordable credit sources for them considered, respectively for increased uptake of avocado improved production technologies