Authors : Bonniface K. Muasa; Dr. Antony Sije; Luke Oyugi

Volume/Issue : Volume 9 - 2024, Issue 10 - October

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/5f83abz9

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/5n8ckpfk

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24OCT1827

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : Over the years, Sustainable production of sugarcane has been impeded by scarcity of high-quality seeds, this has been mainly attributed by dominancy use of recycled planting materials which are often sourced from local social networks. To help reverse this trend, a number of organizations have been involved in the development of improved and clean seed cane planting material. However, a sustainable seed-system has not yet been actualized largely due to limited development of improved cane seed systems. In order to inform the improved cane seed development efforts, it is important to understand farmer’s preference toward different attributes attached to sugarcane seed varieties. It’s due to the above insistence to identify these preferences that this article has been developed, the data used was collected in Kakamega and Kisumu Counties which occupies the large sugarcane production zone. 284 sugarcane farmers and Value chain actors were interviewed. Choice experiment approach was used in assessment of farmers preferences for sugarcane seeds attributes . The findings of the study revealed that mean age of the farmers was approximately 50 years (49.96 yrs.) with average of 14 years in sugarcane production and average land size of 2 acres with most of farmers having just basic education (Primary school level). The findings indicated that, in general, sugarcane farmers mostly preferred to purchase seed cane planting material with high adaptability to the environment, high yielding, disease resistance, early maturity and Sucrose level in that respective order of importance. The marginal willingness to pay for each attribute show that adaptability had the highest WTP of 3970 followed yields (KES.1316), resistance (KES.608), maturity (KES. 379), and level of Sucrose content (KES.238)respectively. The study therefore recommends that awareness creation on improved cane seeds should be done, and an efficient distribution system for improved seed cane should be established.

Keywords : Willingness to Pay, Attributes, Preferences

References :

1. Agossou, A. C. O., N’Danikou, S., Fassinou Hotègni, V. N., Kakpo, T. A., Coulibaly, M., Oselebe, H. O., & Achigan-Dako, E. G. (2023, August 2). Determinants of farmers’ willingness to pay for improved cultivars of Macrotyloma geocarpum (harms) Maréchal and Baudet in Benin and Togo. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1180961
2. Ahmed, U. I., Ying, L., Bashir, M. K., Abid, M., Elahi, E., & Iqbal, M. A. (2016). Access to output market by small farmers: The case of Punjab, Pakistan. Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 26(3), 787–793.
3. Almekinders, C. J., Louwaars, N. P., & De Bruijn, G. H. (1994). Local seed systems and their importance for an improved seed supply in developing countries. Euphytica, 78, 207-216.
4. Ambetsa, F. L., Ndirangu, S. N., & Mwangi, S. C. (2021, May 5). Smallholder Sugarcane Farmers’ Participation and Profitability of Factory Contracted Services in Malava Sub-County, Kenya. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 25(2), 54–65. https://doi.org/10.4314/jae.v25i2.5
5. Anugwa, I. Q., Onwubuya, E. A., Chah, J. M., Abonyi, C. C., & Nduka, E. K. (2021, July 26). Farmers’ preferences and willingness to pay for climate-smart agricultural technologies on rice production in Nigeria. Climate Policy, 22(1), 112–131. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2021.1953435
6. Ateka, J., & Mbeche, R. M. (2022). To Sell or Store? Assessing Smallholder Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Potato Cold Storage in Kenya. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4035594
7. Ayinde, J., Torimiro, D., & Koledoye, G. (2014). Youth Migration and Agricultural Production: Analysis of Farming Communities of Osun State, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural Extension, 18(1), 121. https://doi.org/10.4314/jae.v18i1.11
8. Bucheyeki, T. L., Shenkalwa, E., Kadadi, D., & Lobulu, J. (n.d.). Assessment of Rice Production Constraints and Farmers Preferences in Nzega and Igunga Districts. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267384305
9. Duflo, E., Kremer, M., & Robinson, J. (2008). How high are rates of return to fertilizer? Evidence from field experiments in Kenya. American economic review, 98(2), 482-488.
10. FAO (2019)
11. Grimm, M., Luck, N., & Steinhübel, F. (2023, January). Consumers’ willingness to pay for organic rice: Insights from a non‐hypothetical experiment in Indonesia. Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 67(1), 83–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8489.12501
12. Jones, A. (2002). An environmental assessment of food supply chains: a case study on dessert apples. Environmental management, 30, 560-576.
13. Khainga, D. N., Obare, G., & Nyangena, J. (2018). Estimating pastoralists willingness to pay for artificial insemination in arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya. Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, 10(8), 262–270. https://doi.org/10.5897/jdae2018.0920
14. Martey, E., Etwire, P. M., Adombilla, R., & Abebrese, S. O. (2023, February). Information constraint and farmers’ willingness to pay for an irrigation scheduling tool. Agricultural Water Management, 276, 108043. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2022.108043
15. McGuire, S., & Sperling, L. (2016). Seed systems smallholder farmers use. Food Security, 8(1), 179–195. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-015-0528-8
16. Morris, M., & Byerlee, D. (1998). Maintaining productivity gains in post-Green Revolution Asian agriculture. International agricultural development., (Ed. 3), 458-473.Fischer et al., (2014)
17. Mwangi, C. W., Ateka, J., Mbeche, R., Oyugi, L., & Ateka, E. (2022, May 17). Comparing farmers’ willingness to pay with costs of clean sweet potato seed multiplication in Kenya. Food Security, 14(5), 1279–1293. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-022-01293-w
18. Mwangi, M., & Kariuki, S. (2015). Factors Determining Adoption of New Agricultural Technology by Smallholder Farmers in Developing Countries. Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, 6(5), 208–216. www.iiste.org
19. Nawi, N., Basri, H., Kamarulzaman, N., & Shamsudin, M. (2023, January 11). Consumers’ preferences and willingness-to-pay for traceability systems in purchasing meat and meat products. Food Research, 7(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.26656/fr.2017.7(1).646
20. Nawi, N., Basri, H., Kamarulzaman, N., & Shamsudin, M. (2023, January 11). Consumers’ preferences and willingness-to-pay for traceability systems in purchasing meat and meat products. Food Research, 7(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.26656/fr.2017.7(1).646
21. Ntshangase, N. L., Muroyiwa, B., & Sibanda, M. (2018). Farmers’ perceptions and factors influencing the adoption of no-till conservation agriculture by small-scale farmers in Zashuke, KwaZulu-Natal province. Sustainability (Switzerland), 10(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020555
22. Ortiz, C., Avila, J., & Martinez-Cruz, A. L. (2022). Dairy Farmers’ Willingness to Adopt Cleaner Production Practices for Water Conservation: A Discrete Choice Experiment in Mejia, Ecuador. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4250950
23. Perman, R., Ma, Y., McGilvray, J., & Common, M. (2002). Natural Resource and Environmental Economics Database. In Marine Resource Economics (Vol. 7, Issue 4). https://doi.org/10.1086/mre.7.4.42629040
24. Sperling, L., Cooper, H. D., & Remington, T. (2008). Moving towards more effective seed aid. The Journal of Development Studies, 44(4), 586-612.
25. World Bank (2022). Poverty. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty.