Determinants of Smallholder Farmers' Access to Agricultural Extension Channels and their Effects on Awareness and Compliance with Good Agricultural Practices in Kenya

Abstract

Although it is mandatory for smallholder farmers to comply with Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to participate in French bean farming for export, they lack uniformity in their compliance practices. Available literature doesn't show whether farmers lack of uniformity in compliance with GAPs is affected by their social status characteristics and their choice of extension channels. A field survey was conducted among 115 French bean farmers who were sampled systematically, and the data was collected by the use of questionnaires administered through face-to-face interviews. The data were analyzed descriptively and by Chisquare, Pearson's correlation, and regression models to establish the association between social status characteristics of smallholder farmers versus the type and number of extension channels accessed and its association with awareness and compliance with GAPs. The study found that farmers' level of access to extension channels had a significant influence on their level of awareness of GAPs. Field extension workers were the most effective channel of extension. Moreover, gender, asset scores, farm acreage, and income from the sale of French beans were among the social characteristics that had a significant influence on compliance with GAPs and farmers level of access to extension channels. This study recommends that the dissemination of agricultural innovations to smallholder farmers should be tailored along channels of extension that are compatible with their social status.