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This paper investigated the determinant of youth participation in agricultural training programs using the case of Fadama program. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 977 respondents comprising of 455 participants and 522 non-participants. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study showed that high asset index reduces youths' likelihood of participation. Also, participation in the program was negatively but significantly influenced by gender and household size but positively by age, years of education, perception of agribusiness, agribusiness ownership and youth's intentions to start farming. The result of the descriptive showed that majority of the respondents (56%) indicated lack of access to finance as their major barrier to participating in agribusiness and in agribusiness training. Other barriers include lack of mentorship and information. The study therefore recommends the need for strategies to facilitate youth access to credit, mentorship and timely information.

Climate change and its negative impacts pose a threat to crop production in Kenya. However, climate change adaptation strategies have the potential to address the challenges faced by crop farmers. Despite this, there is limited literature to inform policy on the best interventions to help farmers deal with climate issues. This study assessed the determinants of climate change adaptation strategies and the intensity of their use among 723 crop farmers in Busia County, Kenya, selected through a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA), multinomial logit regression, and the ordered probit model. The climate change adaptation strategies were categorized into crop diversity, cover crops, use of drought-resistant crops, and irrigation. According to the results, the factors contributing to the uptake of the different adaptation strategies were age, household size, access to credit, training access, off-farm income, group membership, frequency of receiving climate change information, and extension services. The major factors influencing the uptake of multiple climate change adaptation strategies were access to credit and off-farm income. The study shows that certain adaptation strategies, such as using cover crops, do not require credit and offer an important option in an environment with limited resources. On the other hand, adaptation measures such as irrigation demand financial resources for farmers to implement them, highlighting the importance of information and awareness in adopting adaptation strategies and the supportive role of financial resources, particularly for adopting multiple strategies. Therefore, this study suggests implementing policies and interventions that encompass knowledge-based strategies such as extension services, training, climate change education, group participation, and financial mechanisms like income generation activities and access to credit. These integrated strategies will enable farmers to adopt various climate change adaptation methods for sustainable crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital agricultural marketing platforms have emerged as one of the key tools for facilitating farmers' access to markets. While previous studies have predominantly focused on examining factors influencing adoption of these platforms, there remains a gap in understanding factors that determine the proportion of a farmer's produce marketed through the platforms. This knowledge is crucial for effective scaling up of digital marketing platforms. Consequently, this research aimed to evaluate the extent of commercialization of potato farming through Digital Agricultural Marketing Platforms (DAMPs), with a specific focus on the M-shamba platform in Kenya. To achieve this objective, data was collected in 2022 from a sample of 375 potato farmers from Nakuru County. The data was analyzed with Stata using probit and Tobit models through the conditional mixed process. The findings revealed that total farm income, price per kilogram of output, access to credit, size of the farm dedicated to potato cultivation, and age of the household head influenced the use of M-shamba platform. Further, the extent of commercialization through M-shamba was significantly determined by total livestock units, marketing decision-maker, having potato farming as primary enterprise, farm income, access to credit, membership to agricultural groups, and age of the household head. In light of these findings, the study recommends targeted support and training programs for older farmers to enhance their proficiency in utilizing DAMPs. Moreover, policies and initiatives aimed at increasing farm income should be implemented to assist farmers with limited incomes. Farmers in groups should be encouraged to participate in collective digital marketing efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kenya tea and coffee are major foreign exchange earners and have high reputation among consumers in the international market. Faced by declining prices and competition from other sub-sectors, production area under these commodities has been declining. Use of intellectual property (IP) rights to protect and market agricultural commodities has been on the increase. Geographical indications as IP have been successfully implemented in developed countries and increasingly in developing countries. The study assesses producers’ awareness and perceptions of territorial-based qualities and the influence on product profits from the two export beverage crops, tea and coffee. Factor analysis was conducted on Likert scale perception questions administered to producers of coffee and tea from Muranga and Kirinyaga, respectively, in the Central region of Kenya. Producers of the two products were aware of the uniqueness of their products and their geographical source. Only perceptions related to market access in coffee and tea, and policies and rules as well as role of county government in coffee positively influenced income. Rather than have GI as a certification trademark, a prescriptive sui generis law would provide the required streamlining needed for collective participation of various actors along the value chain of potential GI products.

This paper provides an early assessment of the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and of subsequent response measures on milk production, collection, processing, marketing and consumption in Africa. We focus on the period surrounding the first wave of the outbreak (from February to June 2020), during which the number of cases surged and many steps were taken to curb the epidemic. The paper is based on reports from four countries covered by the Africa-Milk Research Project: Burkina Faso, Kenya, Madagascar and Senegal. Data was collected primarily from nine dairy processors located in those countries. Major conclusions of the study are: (1) Dairy farmers were negatively affected by COVID-19 measures when the health crisis coincided with the peak of the milk production season, and when governments did not take steps to support milk production. (2) Small and informal milk collectors were also affected by traffic restrictions as they could not obtain traffic permits. (3) Milk powder importation remained unaffected during the outbreak. (4) Dairy processors (particularly small ones) faced many challenges restricting their operation. Travel restrictions led to temporary interruptions of milk supply, and because of employee protection and safety measures, processing costs increased. (5) Many small retailers were affected by bans on public transport and reduced their purchases of artisanal dairy products; meanwhile, spoilage of dairy products increased during long curfews coupled with poor storage conditions. Supermarkets were able to increase their market share during the pandemic thanks to their connections with industrial dairy processors and wholesalers. (6) A majority of consumers decreased their consumption of dairy products due to a decrease of purchasing power. In some cases, an increase in consumption occurred (due to Ramadan month and dry season high temperatures) and consumption shifted towards long-life dairy products. (7) Overall, the consequences of the health crisis affected more small and informal dairy supply chains than the larger ones, which are more formal, better organised and finally more resilient to face this kind of global crisis.

Abstract Invasive alien species have emerged as a production constraint, the most recent in Kenya being fall armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda). The pest incidence has resulted in farmer welfare damage by exacerbating the maize yield gap, a principal staple crop in Kenya. Through a field survey, 257 farmers were interviewed. Farmer perceived direct estimates and an iterative bidding procedure were used to assess maize yield losses. The majority of farmers (99%) were aware of fall armyworm and could correctly identify it. Moreover, most of the farmers (94%) ranked fall armyworm as the major pest for the 2018 cropping season, with more than 43% of the farmers describing the resulting yield loss as high. Yield loss estimates ranged between 0.18 to 2.7 tonnes per acre. Farmers adopted a combination of control strategies, to mitigate the effect of FAW. We conclude that FAW is a problematic pest in Kenya, based on the observed significant losses due to this pest. To inform policy on appropriate and prioritization of resources to manage FAW, yield loss estimates are key. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]