Training on Agribusiness, Value Addition and Performance of Farmers in Selected Counties in Central Kenya
Abstract
Despite intensive knowledge and skill presumably passed on to the dairy farmers, there is a huge outcry from these farm entrepreneurs of high cost of dairy production and low returns on their dairy farming investment. Nevertheless, a small portion of the farmers have gone ahead to venture into dairy farming as business. This study sought to establish the dairy different investment strategies or combination of investment strategies and their resulting performance in the agribusiness farms. The study focused on the dairy agribusiness strategies of dairy farms in Nyeri, Kirinyanga, Murangá and Kiambu counties of Kenya. Data was collected from 60 dairy agribusiness farms. The sample size was proportionally determined from the total number of active dairy farmers who delivered milk to Milk Associations (processor, Union, Federation, Cooperative (D.F.C.S.) self-help (S.H.G.), Investment Company) data sourced from Kenya Dairy Board 2015. Data was analyzed using the SPSS and STATA computer software, where both descriptive and inferential statistics were derived. Stochastic frontier production function was estimated using the maximum likelihood estimation technique. The study found that training to dairy agribusiness farmers and end product value addition influence the performance in dairy farming in central Kenya. The study recommends area for further studies to consider other County Governments in Kenya for purpose of making a comparison of the findings with those of the current study.
Keywords: training, value addition, performance, farmers, Central Kenya
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