EFFECT OF FARMERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF NGO INTERVENTIONS ON HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY IN YATTA SUB COUNTY, MACHAKOS COUNTY, KENYA
Abstract
Purpose of the study: The purpose of the study was to determine whether farmers’ perceptions of NGO interventions affect household food security in Yatta Sub County, Machakos County, Kenya.
Research methodology: The study applied a mixed method approach to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. This involved interviewing 357 farmers through a cross-sectional survey, undertaking focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The study employed a Likert scale to measure different perceptions held by farmers. A logic regression model was used to measure significance.
Findings: The findings demonstrated that there is a significant association between farmers’ perception of NGO interventions and household food security outcomes. Farmers scaled-up and adopted interventions they positively perceive and consider effective.
Conclusion: The study revealed that there is a correlation between farmers’ perception of NGOs interventions and household food security in Yatta Sub County (at 95% confidence level). The more positive farmer’s perceptions of NGO interventions are, the more likely household food security outcomes improve by a unit of approximately 1.389. Farmers constantly assess the effectiveness of various interventions promoted by NGOs and subsequently made decisions to either reject or scale them. Farmers consider interventions such as earth dams, terracing, zai pits, sand dams and water ponds, as well as crops such as cowpeas, pigeon peas, green grams, maize and beans as the most effective. Additionally, farmers prefer animals such as chicken and goats, as well as recommended training, post-harvest and marketing services as superior extension activities. Conversely, farmers perceive sorghum and millet to be ineffective and labour intensive and thus undesirable.
Recommendations: NGOs to incorporate customer satisfaction surveys in their food security programming in order to regularly evaluate farmers’ perceptions regarding interventions. NGOs should invest their efforts in automating farming and upscaling modern technologies to lessen farmers’ input in labour and enhance efficiency. NGOs should work concurrently with research institutes and knowledge centres to scale up innovations; test soils; undertake periodic customer satisfaction surveys; document evidence-based programming and stimulate improvement of communication with farmers.
Keywords: Farmers perceptions, NGO interventions, household food security.
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