Socio-economic and Institutional Factors Affecting the Adoption of Rice Production Innovations by Smallholder Rice Farmers in the West Kano Irrigation Scheme, Kenya

Rice, being the third most widely consumed cereal in Kenya, has had a significant surge in consumption, with a notable increase of 12%. Nevertheless, Kenya has encountered challenges in fulfilling its domestic rice requirements, primarily due to the slow uptake of rice agricultural technologies among smallholder rice producers. The primary objective of this study was to see increase of rice output for enhanced livelihoods and decrease the need for imports in Kenya. The study identified the socio-economic and institutional elements that influence the adoption of these innovations. The researchers obtained primary data by administering a semi-structured questionnaire to a sample of 200 smallholder rice growers in West Kano Irrigation Scheme, Kisumu County. The analysis employed descriptive statistics and a multivariate Probit model. The results of the econometric analysis, analyzed using a multivariate probit model, indicate that there is a significant positive relationship between access to agricultural extension services (β=0.24, p<0.01) and the likelihood of adopting improved rice varieties. Similarly, access to credit (β=0.32, p<0.05) is found to have a significant positive effect on the adoption likelihood of row planting. These findings underscore the importance of enhancing these services in order to promote the adoption of improved agricultural practices. There was a statistically significant association also between male-headed families and greater adoption rates (β=0.22, p<0.1), indicating the presence of gender inequities. The findings of the study furthermore indicate that there is a negative relationship between the size of land and the adoption of land-intensive innovations (β=-0.46, p<0.01). This suggests that smallholders have obstacles when attempting to implement and expand the use of innovative practices on their rice farms. Factors such as the age, level of education, gender and family size of farmers have been identified as significant drivers of adoption. The implementation of targeted policies and interventions that specifically target the characteristics highlighted can effectively facilitate the general adoption of innovation and significantly enhance the domestic production of rice.