Factors influencing the adoption of agricultural value chain enterprise solutions on productivity in Kenya: a case of edensys enterprise solution in Makueni county.

Abstract

The research was undertaken to understand why farmers would adopt the use of agricultural value chain enterprise solutions in their daily farming activities. What attributes would make the adoption of these agricultural value chain enterprise solutions desirable in agricultural production? To achieve that, the research reviewed literature for understanding the factors that influenced the adoption of agricultural value chain enterprise solutions in the agricultural ERP context. The preview provided overall insight into prior studies that emphasized on the factors influencing the adoption of agricultural value chain enterprise solutions in agricultural production. A case of Edensys Enterprise Solution in Makueni County was chosen as a reference. The purpose of the study was to examine factors determining the adoption and adoption of such value chain enterprise solutions in agricultural production in Makueni County in Kenya. The study explored research on connectivity of the farmers to the agricultural value chain enterprise solutions, their level of training undertaken to use the value chain enterprise solution, costs involved in using or acquiring the value chain enterprise solution and as well as demographic characteristics of the farmers relating to the use and adoption of the value chain enterprise solution. Multi-stage sampling technique was used in selection of the respondents. Questionnaires with both structured and unstructured questions were used in collecting primary data. Both qualitative quantitative techniques were used to analyze the data obtained from the field. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and MS Excel 2010 was used in data management and analysis. Findings were presented in the form of percentages, frequency tables and graphs. The aim of the research study was to examine the influencing adoption factors of agricultural value chain enterprise solutions also known as agricultural ERPs among farmers in Makueni County, where the main economic activity is small scale farming. The study found out that indeed the examined factors affects how farmers adopt the use of the agricultural value chain enterprise solution in their agricultural production activities. The study concluded the most significant factors as examined were cost of ownership followed by connectivity on a close second then end user training and demographic factors in that order. The study therefore supports the importance of the studied attributes in decision making before adoption of the value chain enterprise solution.