INFLUENCE OF ACCESS TO ADVISORY SERVICES ON ADOPTION OF INDIGENOUS AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES IN CHUKA SUB-COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

The study examines factors that could be addressed to increase the adoption of Indigenous Agricultural Practices (IAPs) among smallholder farmers. Data were collected from 100 farmers who were already using
IAPs, selected through stratified sampling; data collection was conducted in June 2020 structured questionnaire was used to gather information, and the data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed a significant positive correlation between access to advisory services and the
adoption of IAPs but also revealed that these services were often inaccessible and not useful to farmers. The
study further found that extension agents were not readily available and that lack of relevant training materials and untimely service delivery hindered the adoption of IAPs. Despite these challenges, farmers reported
that radio and farmer-to-farmer contact were affordable, reliable, and readily available sources of agricultural information. The current results suggest that access to agricultural advisory services needs to be improved
to increase the adoption of IAPs. The findings of the study have implications for extension education and the
development of policies and incentives to enhance access to these services for smallholder farmers. The results can also be used to promote sustainable agricultural productivity through the adoption of IAPs.