SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS INFLUENCING ADOPTION OF SUSTAINABLE SUGARCANE FARMING PRACTICES AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN KAKAMEGA NORTH SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

One of the major agricultural activities of the country is sugarcane production, although the productivity of sugarcane is low relative to the potential. Despite the fact that sustainable practices encourage production, smallholder farmers do not implement it due to a number of reasons. The research project was intended to explore the socio-economic issues that affect the adoption of the sustainable sugarcane farming culture among smallholders in Kakamega North sub-county. The objectives were specific and were as follows to evaluate the current rate of adoption of sustainable sugarcane farming practices, establish the relationship that exists between socioeconomic factors and the adoption of sustainable sugarcane farming practices among sugarcane smallholder farmers, and explore the role of farmer groups in adoption of sustainable sugarcane farming practices among sugarcane smallholder farmers. The study involved all the seven wards in Kakamega North sub-county in which the population of sugarcane smallholder farmers was 65,323 and a sample size of 394. The study employed the cross-sectional survey design. Sampling proportion was done to provide sufficient ward representation. A questionnaire that is structured was used to gather data by the questionnaire to the sampled farmers. The study results thereof included the following; 84 percent of them practiced mulching, 93 percent did not do soil testing, and 100 percent did not practice integrated harvesting methods. Gender, the level of farming experience, and income were found to have significant (p ≤ 0.05) association with adoption of mulching practices. On the same note, integration of the practices of weeding was significantly related ( p ≤ 0.05 ) to gender and education level, level of income, membership to farmer groups and access to extension services. Moreover, extension services, soils testing practice, and income level were highly associated with the adoption of the practice of soil testing. To sum up, the research paper underscores that gender, farm experience, education level, income level, farm groups and extension services are important factors in determining the sustainable farming practices adoption of sugarcane smallholder farmers. As a means of increasing the uptake of such practices, a need is presently that policymakers, agricultural extension officers and farmer organizations should focus on certain interventions that are to be packaged and lobbied effectively to enable them to take care of these critical issues and hence, create a more sustainable sugarcane production practice. Further studies are needed in future to examine long-term effects of such socio-economic factors on sustainability and address novel strategies in an effort to eliminate obstacles to the introduction of sustainable practices.