PR - Drivers Of Awareness And Adoption Of Maize And Sorghum Technologies In Western Kenya

Despite extensive promotion of maize and sorghum cultivars adapted to multiple stresses through public, private and research institutions’ extension initiatives in Western Kenya, the adoption of such technologies by small scale farmers is low and production of the two crops is not only declining, but also continues to fall behind potential. Production of maize and sorghum are not only below 0.5 t/ha against a potential of 3-4 t/ha, but also declining. The objective of the study was to not only characterize awareness and adoption of maize and sorghum cultivars adapted to moisture stress, striga, low fertility acid soils and aluminum toxicity, but also isolate factors influencing their adoption. Data was collected from five sites in Nyanza and Western provinces using systematic sampling to generate a sample of 100 farmers. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and a probit model. Results show that gender, age, farm size, income, and access to extension influence adoption of maize and sorghum technologies. It is recommended that policies should consider household structure, empower them economically and improve access to extension services to enhance adoption of maize and sorghum technologies.

Keywords: drivers, adoption, maize and sorghum, technologies, Western Kenya