Assessing the Determinants of Tissue Culture Banana Adoption in Western Kenya

Abstract

In this study cross-section data was used to analyze the effect of farmers' demographic, socioeconomic and institutional setting, market access and physical attributes on the probability and intensity of tissue culture banana (TCB) adoption. The study was carried out between July 2011 and November 2011. Both descriptive (mean, variance, promotions) and regression analysis were used in the analysis. A double hurdle regression model was fitted on the data. Using multistage sampling technique, four counties and eight sublocations were randomly selected. Using random sampling technique, three hundred and thirty farmers were selected from a list of banana households in the selected sub-locations. The adoption level of tissue culture banana (TCB) was about 32%. The results also revealed that the likelihood of TCB adoption was significantly influenced by: availability of TCB planting material, proportion of banana income to the total farm income, per capita household expenditure and the location of the farmer in Kisii County; while those that significantly influenced the intensity of TCB adoption were: occupation of farmers, family size, labour source, farm size, soil fertility, availability/access of TCB plantlets to farmers, distance to banana market, use of manure in planting banana, access to agricultural extension services and index of TCB/non-TCB banana cultivar attributes which were scored by farmers. Compared to West Pokot County, farmers located in Bungoma County are more significantly and likely to adopt TCB technology. Therefore, the results of the study suggest that the probability of adoption and intensity of the use of TCB should be enhanced. This can be done by taking cognizance of these variables in order to meet the priority needs of the smallholder farmers who were the target group. This would lead to alleviating banana shortage in the region for enhanced food security. Subsequently, actors along the banana value chain are encouraged to target the intervention strategies based on the identified farmer, farm and institutional characteristics for enhanced impact on food provision. Opening up more TCB multiplication centres in different regions will make farmers access the TCB technology for enhanced impact on the target population.

Making sense of farmers’ demand for seed of root, tuber and banana crops: a systematic review of methods

“…Eight studies in this category focused on the adoption of improved varieties in all five main RTB crops in Africa (Abebe et al 2013;Afolami et al 2015;Deffo and Demo 2003;Edmeades et al 2007;Nigussie et al 2016;Tarawali et al 2012). In addition, we identified studies on the adoption of planting material from rapid, disease-free propagation methods, such as tissue-culture bananas in Kenya (Wanyama et al 2016) and tissue-culture sweet potatoes in Zimbabwe (Mutandwa et al 2008), certified seed potatoes marketed by a private seed company in Kenya (Okello et al 2016). While the majority of studies focused on the adoption of certain varieties, four of the identified studies (Abebe et al 2013;Edmeades and Smale 2006;Okello et al 2016;Wanyama et al 2016) also studied the intensity of adoption; the amount of seed and area of land that adopting farmers used for cultivation.…”

Banana Production Trends, Cultivar Diversity, and Tissue Culture Technologies Uptake in Kenya

“…Market accessibility by farmers is important in technology adoption through input acquisition and product sales. Distance from the market raises transaction costs and markedly decimates farmers' profit margins [25].…”

“…e significant correlation at 0.01 level of access farm management training and accessing TC banana seedling suggests that training has a vital role in information disseminating. Contact with extension officers has been reported to have a positive effect on the adoption of agriculture technology by farmers, and this is based on innovation diffusion theory [25]. When farmers are exposed to the available information, it stimulates adoption of a technology [26].…”

“…When farmers are exposed to the available information, it stimulates adoption of a technology [26]. International Journal of Agronomy Agricultural technology is an essential tool in helping farmers adapt to the changing climatic conditions [25]. Setting up systems for collecting, processing, and sharing agricultural information is a necessity to ensure an increase in agricultural production.…”

“…A more supportive policy environment with more robust and better-regulated linkages to markets (local and international) is required to maximize benefits from investments [7]. ere is, therefore, a need to identify information communication technology tools that can aid in the dissemination of relevant information to farmers such as mobile technology in accessing market linkages, current market prices, as well as credit facilities [25].…”