Access to Advisory Services and Agrochemical Guideline Implementation Among Farmers in Chuka Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Effective utilization of agrochemical guidelines and practices among farmers depends heavily on steady access to private and public sector advisory services. Despite the government putting in place policies and laws governing the use of agrochemicals, little empirical evidence exists relating to the effective adoption of agrochemical guidelines and practices among small-scale farmers. This research, therefore, was meant to address the knowledge gap. Using a correlational research design, the study employed a semi-structured questionnaire to gather data. A proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of one hundred respondents. Pearson’s correlation was used to determine relationships between variables, while one-way ANOVA was used to determine if farmers differed significantly in access to agrochemical information from private and public sector extension providers. The study established that most small-scale farmers (98%) used agrochemicals. Access to advisory services and effective utilization of agrochemical guidelines and practices were found to have a weak positive correlation, r = 0.24. A one-way ANOVA revealed a non-significant effect of the kind of extension provider on access to agrochemical information, F (2,72) = 0.37, p = 0.69. Effective dissemination and utilization of agrochemical information relies upon all sectors and sometimes both private and public combined. We recommend that public and private extension providers continue to work collaboratively to supplement the agrochemical information provided to the farmers by the manufacturers. Additionally, the extension service should provide help to the farmers in interpreting chemical labels and user specifications.