Use of agricultural technologies by women small scale farmers for sustainable food production in nyamira county Kenya

Abstract

Agricultural technologies have been known to play a major role in agricultural production especially increased food production. Women play a major role in agriculture especially in the provision of labour and farm inputs. Women tend to join women groups as innovations from which they access credit for food production activities. These informal credit systems have been used by women to access agricultural technologieS for sustainable food production household level at h. The study used maize, beans and fertilizers as indicators of food production standards linked agricultural technologies for sustainable food production. The study involved women group members and non-members as well as extension workers from Nyamira county Kenya. Ex post facto research design using survey method was applied in the study. The population of the study included 200 women small scale farmers and all the field extension workers in two Sub Counties ( Borabu and Ekerenyo) of Nyamira County. A sample of 100 women group members was selected using disproportionate stratified random sampling method while 100 non members were randomly selected for the study. 28 field extension workers were purposively selected for the study. The questionnaire for women farmers (WFQ) and extension workers questionnaire (EWQ) were used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data for discussion. The use of certified maize and bean seed, and fertilizers by women group members was tested using chi-square. It was realized that there was significant difference in food production between women group members and non members at household levels in Nyamira County. The study revealed that women’s use of agricultural technologies play a vital role in household food production.