Liberalized agricultural markets and their impact on human welfare in Koibarak location, Marakwet district Kenya

Abstract

The primary objective of the study was to assess the impact of liberalized agricultural markets on human welfare in Koibarak Location, Marakwet District, Kenya. And its secondary objective was to examine other factors th~t determine the status of human welfare in the region. To achieve the above objectives, it was hypothesized that the change in the net monthly incomes of the farm households due to the liberalization of the agricultural markets significantly affect their (ood security, educ~tion and health status; And that, the human welfare of the households is significantly affected by their family sizes, cu]lur~] ._factors,physical environmental conditions, transportaLion network, accessibility to pubLic loans and credit facilities, accessibility to agricultural education and extension services, land tenure system and methods of farming used. The theoretical framework that was used here is thnt of Rogers,E. and Shoemaker(1971) which states that, every planned programme of change(be it economic, political, industrial or agricultural) produces social and economic reactions that run throughout the social structure. The consequences(social reactions) of the liberalized agricultural markets (planned programme) on the human welfare of the Koibarak households were therefore the maln interest of this study. The sample size for the research study was 100 respondents whose main occupation is farming. The study was conducted between early March and Mid-April 1995. The 100 interview questionnaires were administered by the researcher with the assistance of two enumerators. The data collected was both primary and secondary. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the data. The findings of the study indicate that liberalization of the agricultural markets among other social-cultural, economic and physical environmental factors have negatively affected the welfare status of the respondents' households. Of the other factors considered to influence the welfare status of the households, the following were proven significant:- their family sizes, cultural factors, physical environmental factors, transportation network, land tenure system, accessibility to agricultural education and extension services, and methods of farming used in the region. The respondents' accessibility to public loans and credit facilities in the region was not proven significant in influencing the welfare status of their households. Based on these findings, a number of relevant recommendations are finally suggested. Given that the agricultural sector is the backbone of Kenya's economy and other developing countries, the certainty of the liberalized markets to usher in more favorable results in improving the welfare of its people depends on certain conditions. The social dimension (i.e. human welfare status) of the people who are the key participants of the implemented programme shouldbe considered during policy formulations and implementations. Also, farm households should be provided with a strengthened incentive package in terms of improved infrastructure and conducive prices for their inputs and products as these will enable them to compete favourably in the local, national, and even international markets. Lastly but not least, countries expected to implement any externally designed programme should be given an upper hand inassessing the viability of the intended programme to the development of their countries. This will allow for the consideration of the different social-economic, political, demographic, and physical factors prevailing in these countries in the event of implementing any new programme.