Digitalization of Multi-stakeholder Structures Along Sorghum Value Chain in Siaya County

Abstract

Detailed knowledge of specific agricultural value chain stakeholders is a key element for quality and profitable food production (Makini et al. 2013). While there are attempts to organize agricultural stakeholders in innovation structures that allow them to access agricultural resources and information, little attempts have been made to digitalize these structures for enhanced information flow and decision making necessary for timely interventions and greater productivity. The inadequacies in digitalization of the multi-stakeholder structures limits the systematic sharing; dissemination; and application of improved technologies and also restricts the uptake of innovations, and management practices that helps to attain greater impact and benefits to value chain stakeholders (Misiko 2019). Such insufficiency of information has affected the sorghum value chain in Kenya, characterized by small-scale production and minimum access to critical resources. These limitations are further compounded by the unavailability of technologies that would bridge the gaps. (Burnham et al. 2015) portend that a proper strategy to enhance knowledge and innovation in agriculture is that which would turn farmers into a potentially valuable source of information. These strategies are currently domiciled in public and private extension services which are largely manual, slow, and ineffective. This study assesses the efficacy of a digitalized data management model on information flow and decision support among sorghum value chain actors in Siaya County through a multi-stakeholder structure. Structured KII and FGD checklists were used to obtain qualitative data and information relevant to the study while a simple survey was used to validate the resultant value chain model. The study found out that the sorghum value chain in Siaya County did not function optimally with farmers' decisions being influenced by other stakeholders. Subsequently, the existing multi-stakeholder structures are marred with misgivings among members thus threatening efficiency in information flow along the value chain. The study recommends a robust digitalized multi-stakeholder structure that utilizes web and mobile based applications to enhance decision making and improve information flow among Sorghum Value actors in Siaya County.