Abstract:
The uptake of sorghum farming as a viable enterprise among small holder farmers in
Siaya County has been low despite the changing climatic conditions that make
sorghum the most suitable cereal crop for the region. Many questions have been
raised regarding the low proportion of farmers who plant sorghum despite the
desirable attributes of sorghum such as performing well under low input conditions,
being drought resistant, less vulnerable to pests and diseases and its high nutritive
value. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the gross margin of sorghum
and the socioeconomic, institutional, and policy factors that affect profitability of the
crop. The study was undertaken in Siaya County where cross-sectional survey
research design was utilized in data collection. A combination of multi stage and
purposive sampling was used. Alego-Usonga Sub County was purposively selected to
represent the entire population because the sub county has high poverty levels, as well
as high population of sorghum farmers. The target population included all the
sorghum farmers in Siaya County. A total of 310 respondents randomly selected from
Alego-Usonga Sub County were used to represent the research population. Gross
margin and multiple regression were employed to examine the profitability of
sorghum farming, and the effect of socioeconomic, institutional factors, and policy
factors on the gross margins from sorghum respectively. The study was based on the
theory of the firm Stata and SPSS aided in analyzing data. The results found gross
margin from sorghum to be positive with a value of kshs. 4,286 per acre on average.
The average revenue per acre was found to be kshs. 14, 175 while average variable
cost per acre was ksh. 9, 889. This shows that sorghum farming is profitable in the
short run. Socioeconomic, institutional and policy factors found to significantly
determine gross margins included age of household head (β ₌ -1.3122, p ₌ 0.016**),
household size (β ₌ 3.791, p ₌ 0.000***), education level of household head (β ₌ -
3.3826, p ₌ 0.000***), household income (β ₌ 1.7639, p ₌ 0.018**), access to
extension (β ₌ 2.2287, p ₌ 0.002**), number of crops intercropped with sorghum (β ₌ -
0.09369, p ₌ 0.097*) and Nature of farming (β ₌ 1.5265, p ₌ 0.007**). In conclusion,
sorghum farming in Siaya County is profitable in the short run, but in the long run it
will depend on variability of all factors. Consequently, the study recommended that
extension services should be improved; farmers should be encouraged to embrace
sustainable farming practices such as mixed farming, farmers be encouraged to
practice objective intercropping, and also to diversify their income sources. Finally,
