Assessment of the Availability and Accessibility to Improved Cassava Varieties by Smallholder Farmers in Siaya County, Kenya

Cassava is significantly important as a staple food in numerous sub-Saharan regions. It is the third most vital calorie source and the second most crucial tuber crop. Cassava is capable of withstanding difficult growing conditions thus a suitable climate smart crop for arid and semi-arid areas. Globally, Nigeria produces the highest amount of cassava. In Kenya production stands at 1 million metric tons against a potential of 3 million metric tons annually. Western region contributes 60% of total Kenyan cassava. Unlike other staple food crops with a well-structured formal seed system, cassava with an informal seed system experiences several challenges including lack of access to improved varieties. A cross sectional research design was used with purposive sampling. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire on a face to face interview. A total of 72 smallholder cassava farmers were selected using Cochran’s formula. Chi-square test, logistics regression and Spearman’s correlation were used to analyze the data, with the help of SPSS version 20. The results showed that 72.2% of the smallholder farmers had access to improved cassava varieties. Significant differences were observed between socio-demographic factors (age, education level, household head, marital status, total land size, land ownership, household head occupation, credit access, farmer group and training) on access to improved cassava varieties. However, seeds were of low quality and unclean as they were borrowed from fellow farmers. The recommendation is to discourage over dependence on free seed and sensitize farmers on the importance of purchasing high quality seed.