Determinants Influencing the Adoption of Rice Intensification System among Smallholders in Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Kenya

Rice farming has received considerable attention in
developing countries and particularly in Kenya due to its
impact on smallholders’ income and food security. Irrigated
rice is the largest consumer of water, and its sustainability is
threatened by water shortage. This has necessitated the
development of alternative irrigation water technologies, such
as the system of rice intensification (SRI), which are efficient
in water use with improved yields. This study analyzed the
determinants of adoption of SRI in the Mwea Irrigation
Scheme where stratified sampling was used to obtain 364
smallholder rice farmers. A semistructured questionnaire was
used to collect primary data, which was then analyzed using
a binary logistic regression model. The results showed that
age (−0.3%) was significant but with a negative effect on
adoption of SRI. Farm size (2.499%), household size
(1.895%), distance from the canal (1.354%), off-farm work
(3.953%), access to credit services (8.714%), access to
extension services (7.809%), and years in rice farming
(0.409%) were found positively and significantly influencing
factors to the adoption of SRI. Therefore, this study
concludes that smallholders attempt to improve rice
productivity through adoption of SRI should give a special
priority to all significant factors.

Read more at:. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/aag/2021/1624334/