Evaluation of the Utilization of Finger Millet and Sorghum for Enhancing Food Security in Selected Sub Counties of Bungoma and Busia, Kenya

Abstract

Despite favorable climatic conditions for agriculture in western Kenya, millions of households have insufficient access to nutritionally safe food. The poverty indices are also high ranging from 44.3% in Bungoma County to 65.0% in Busia County according to the Economic Survey of 2019. While the national and county governments largely focus on large-scale production of maize as a staple food crop, the production of climate resilient and highly nutritious indigenous cereal food crops like finger millet and sorghum is on the decline both in area and yields per unit land. This paper is premised on the findings of a study which sought to assess the potential of finger millet and sorghum on food security in Bungoma Central Sub County (Bungoma County) and Teso North Sub County (Busia County), Kenya. A descriptive survey study design was employed to study the target population. The study targeted 2772 respondents including household heads, agricultural officers, CBO leaders from Bungoma Central and North Teso Sub Counties. The study sample was 306 respondents. These respondents were sampled using random sampling for household heads and purposive sampling for key informants respectively. Face to face interview, structured questionnaires and observation was employed as tools of data collection. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS Ver 22 statistical software and were in terms of frequencies and percentages. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically as by the objective. Data presentation was by use of tables, pie charts, bar charts. In the results, the model was found to be significant and therefore the null hypothesis was rejected on the ground that factors affecting utilization of finger millet and sorghum had significant and relatively weak and positive linear correlation with food security. Findings reveals that the relationship of factors affecting utilization of finger millet and sorghum and Food security variables which was linear, positive and significant. In light of the objectives and findings, the following recommendations suffice: Create awareness on the benefits of sorghum and millet. This awareness should include all learning institutions as part of the syllabus. There is also need for promotion of cost-effective climate resilient technologies. In addition, Government should subsidize production inputs of sorghum and millet, Government should organize for collective marketing for sorghum and millet.