Technical Efficiency of Mushroom Production Among Smallholder Farmers in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

2025-10-11T12:54:50+00:00

Mushroom cultivation is an emerging crop in Kenya with significant potential to alleviate poverty and food insecurity among smallholder farmers. However, low production levels in regions like Uasin Gishu County indicate potential technical inefficiencies that limit its market potential. This study was carried out to analyze the technical efficiency (TE) of smallholder mushroom farmers in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, and to identify the determinants influencing that efficiency. The study utilized a cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from a sample of 114 farmers from a target population of 162 mushroom farmers, primarily growing Oyster and Button species. The sampling technique employed was Stratified Random Sampling with Proportional Allocation. Both primary (survey data collected via semi-structured questionnaires) and secondary data were used. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and a Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) model. The SFA model was estimated using Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE), assuming a half-normal distribution for the inefficiency term. The descriptive results showed that the majority of farmers had limited access to institutional support, with 60.5% lacking access to agricultural extension services. The mean age of household heads was 52 years, with an average farming experience of 4 years. The SFA model revealed significant technical inefficiency, with TE scores ranging from 29% to 89%, and a mean TE of 67%. This implies that farmers could increase their current output by 33% without changing the existing technology or input levels. Frontier analysis showed that Man-hour Labour (β=0.665) was the most critical constraint to output, while inputs like fertilizer and wheat straw were found to be over-utilized. Analysis of the inefficiency determinants revealed that Access to Extension Services (increasing TE by 48.8%), Price of Mushroom Output (increasing TE by 33.5%), and Access to Credit (increasing TE by 8.1%) were the most significant factors in reducing technical inefficiency. However, distance to the Market was found to increase inefficiency significantly. The study concludes that substantial potential exists for mushroom output improvement in the short run. It recommends that county agricultural sectors prioritize strengthening extension service delivery and providing tailored credit facilities to enhance input allocation, close the efficiency gap, and maximize the economic benefits of mushroom production.

The Status of Cowpea Bacterial Blight Disease in Cowpea-Growing Regions of Kenya

2025-10-11T13:14:43+00:00

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is an economically important crop cultivated both for domestic and commercial purposes. It is one of the most resilient crops suited to arid and semi-arid areas. Numerous diseases caused by phytopathogens impact cowpea production. Bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vignicola has been reported in many cowpea-producing areas, causing a reduction in both the quality and quantity of the harvestable leaves and grains. However, in Kenya, the disease occurrence status has not been exhaustively documented. This research conducted random field surveys in 80 farms from six counties representing different zones to analyse the disease occurrence levels. An average of 14 farms were randomly sampled per county. The mean disease incidence was 44.89% which varied across the sampled sites, the lowest farm incidence was 26.87% and 64.67% was the highest mean farm incidence. The bacterial blight of cowpea caused by X. axonopodis pv. vignicola was prevalent in all the sampled regions of Laikipia, Isiolo, Makueni, Uasin Gishu, Kakamega and Meru, with the highest prevalence 93.33% in both Kakamega and Makueni and the lowest in Meru (20.0%). Because of the wide spread of the disease in the cowpea growing seasons of Kenya, there is need for farmers to be sensitised on the presence and identification of the disease in the farms for the best control measures.

Journal of Crops, Livestock and Pest Management

Technical Efficiency of Mushroom Production Among Smallholder Farmers in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya

The Status of Cowpea Bacterial Blight Disease in Cowpea-Growing Regions of Kenya