http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/11 2026-04-20T09:31:01Z 2026-04-20T09:31:01Z Ojala D.O Nyangweso P.M Mudaki J.S Evusa Zablon Chacha, J Kisinyo, P. Kiano E.K http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/2194 2018-11-08T08:39:09Z 2014-10-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Socio Economic factors influencing smallholder maize farming in Migori County, Kenya Authors: Ojala D.O; Nyangweso P.M; Mudaki J.S; Evusa Zablon; Chacha, J; Kisinyo, P.; Kiano E.K Abstract: Maize is the main staple food crop in Kenya and is of vital concern to agricultural policy decisions, food security and overall development of the sector and the economy. It is also the dominant staple food crop in the study area. However, there has been a declining trend in maize production among farmers in Migori County, a tobacco growing zone, threatening household and national food security. This paper examines socio economic factors influencing small holder maize production in Migori County. A survey was conducted and the target population included all small holder maize farmers in tobacco growing zones of Migori County. A multistage sampling technique was used. A sample of 165 maize farmers was selected using systematic random sampling. Descriptive statistics such as measures of central tendency, cross tabulation, tables, and bar graphs as well as regression were used to analyze data. Results show that farmer’s age - a proxy for experience, resource base as captured by size of cattle herd, total cropped area and competition from tobacco production influence maize production. Efforts to improve maize production in Migori County should improve resource base of farmers, pay attention to their experience and consider competition for scarce production resources

2014-10-01T00:00:00Z Odwori P. O Ogweno D. Senelwa K. Nyangweso P. http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/2180 2018-11-06T13:39:22Z 2014-10-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Profitability potential of Forest Plantations in Forest conservancies of Kenya Authors: Odwori P. O; Ogweno D.; Senelwa K.; Nyangweso P. Abstract: Eastern, Central and Mau Forest conservancies constitute about 90% of all forest plantations in Kenya. The Kenya government banned timber harvesting in 1999, which is still in force in some conservancies. Forest plantations have subsequently deteriorated in volume and value due to over-maturity. The main objective of this study was to show the profitability potential of Forest plantations in Eastern, Central and Mau Forest Conservancies with the intention of showing their worth before deteriorating further and losing value. Data was collected from selected forest stations in Eastern, Central and Mau Conservancies. Compartment data was obtained from both mature and over-mature plantations. Volume tables were used to convert compartment data to volumes. Kenya Forest Service General Order was then used to convert volumes to revenues and Cost benefit analysis used to determine the profitability. Results showed that revenues per hectare for Pinus patula over-mature plantations were between Kshs 508,170 and 821,156 while for mature plantations between Kshs. 297,695 and 864,355. Revenues for over-mature Cupressus lusitanica ranged between Kshs. 475,243 and 894,381 while for mature ranged from Kshs 664,411 to Kshs. 1,063,993. Per hectare forest management cost was found to average Kshs. 80,000. Profits per hectare were found to range from Kshs. 220,576 to 975,700. This study concluded that the profitability potential of forest plantations in Eastern, Central and Mau forest conservancies is great and recommends that an inventory of all mature and over-mature forest plantations be taken to be a basis for fast tracking timber harvesting especially of the mature and over-mature forest plantations, which over time would decay and deteriorate in volume and value

2014-10-01T00:00:00Z Owuor George http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/2178 2018-11-06T13:26:51Z 2014-10-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Filling the Niche-the Trajectory of Financial inclusion among Smallholder Farmers in Africa: The case of Kenya a synthesis of success stories and challenges from Empirical Studies Authors: Owuor George Abstract: This paper makes a synthesis of various empirical studies carried out in parts of Africa, and in Kenya to derive lessons on financial inclusion among smallholder farmers. The derived lessons point at a steadily growing expansion of financial services to rural poor traditionally characterised by high idiosyncratic risks and huge information asymmetry. This category of households seem to have made the African continent sustain itself in the midst of financial crisis in the 2008/09 when the rest of the world including the Asian tigers and the American capitalists faced serious setbacks in their financial sector growth. During this period, Africa experienced steady growth that started in 2000 at below 3% and peaked to about 4.8% by 2009-2013. The contribution of transformation of financial sector experienced in Kenya are some of the reasons for this growth. The paper elucidates the key determinants of access to the reformed financial services by the rural poor to include, access to targeted training on financial services beyond the formal education, participation of female headed households in collective frameworks and credit worthiness as exhibited by multiple borrowing points. The impact of such inclusion is exhibited by significant changes in purchasing power of households through income and diversified investment in farm assets. In all these successes, ICT through mobile money transfer played a significant role, as exhibited in studies across the region. Despite the successes, the key challenges include high fungibility of targeted funding, showing a need to provide an array of financial services to the poor including credit for consumption, school fees, medical cover and emergency loans found among the savings and credit cooperatives. Also the inequality and raising the poorest of the poor is still a challenge, one reason being the instrumental role of ICT through mobile money transfer system which some of the poorest farmers have no access. The newly introduced M-Shwari product, is something that extension personnel could take as part of their advice to small farmers in accessing short term loans and as means of savings funds between 100-10,000. These kind of funds are useful in particular in bridging financial gaps along the agribusiness value chains. The funds can be borrowed to transport produce to the market, and make payments in time to enable farmers capitalise on in their input purchases. A study on participation of smallholder farmers in M-Shwari type of saving and immediate credit service is still not known. These is an area for immediate uptake by all stakeholders including researchers as no lessons exist in this modality.

2014-10-01T00:00:00Z Chombo O. http://ir.mu.ac.ke:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/2177 2018-11-06T12:53:40Z 2014-10-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Socio-Economic Impact of Channelization on River Basin Utilisation in Eastern Uganda, The Case of Doho Rice Scheme, River Manafwa in Tororo District, Uganda Authors: Chombo O. Abstract: Whereas channelization helps to improve food production in view of the rapidly increasing population, it has environmental challenges since it interferes with the natural systems of the river basin. The study sought to establish the socio-economic impact of channelization on river basin utilization for flood rice cultivation. The specific objectives were: to determine the impact of channelization on the income level of the people around Doho rice scheme, find out the challenges faced by the people around the rice scheme resulting from channelization and to find out how the people are copying with these challenges. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative designs. The quantitative design was applied in establishing the economic benefits of channelization for example the quantity of rice produced over the years, the amount of money earned by the farmers and so on while the qualitative design was employed in characterizing the value judgments of the respondents regarding the challenges of channelization like flooding among others. The methods of data collection include;documentation, questionnaires, face to face interviews, focus group discussions and observation. It was established that there is a significant increase in the quantity of rice production and hence income to the people, extension of power to the otherwise remote areas, among others. However, there was also a significant challenge resulting from flooding due to channelization of the stream like displacement of people, outbreak of diseases like cholera,among others. It was also established that there are no clear mechanisms in place to foresee and cope with these challenges. There were no cases of bilharzia though. However, there is over concentration on the growing of rice at the expense of other crops which affects food security.

2014-10-01T00:00:00Z