The Influence of Land Fragmentation on Agricultural Production among Farming Households in Vihiga District, Kenya

Abstract

The effects of land fragmentation on agricultural production have been discussed by a number of studies. However, most of these studies have not investigated the factors that sustain fragmentation inspite of its negative manifestations on production and socio economic well being of the farming households. Studies by Bizimana (2006) suggested that more research has to be done in the area of cultural land inheritance system in African societies to establish the reason for its persistence even when it is uneconomical to sub divide land further. The study focused on fragmentation vis-a-vis how efficiency of resource use on farms varies with the size of a farm business and what implications variations in performance might hold for the reallocation of resources between area operated groups in pursuit of land redistribution. This study examined the effects of land fragmentation on agricultural production among the farming households in Vihiga particularly in Sabatia and South Maragoli of Vihiga District. The major variables considered in the study included: - household land size and agricultural production. Other variables; were population size, efficiency of resource use, land productivity, investment on the farm and the general welfare of the house holds. The dependent variable was agricultural production Moderating factors were efficiency in the utilization of resources/inputs, other investments on the farm, and the family size while the independent variable was the land size. The study analyzed documents in the government offices at Vihiga particularly the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands office, the District Development Office and interviewed the Provincial Administration personnel. The study further utilized data from the field to collaborate document analysis. The target population was 53,887 farming households. Two hundred farming households, thirty community leaders, and seven government officials were selected from the target population for the study. Information was collected using questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires were administered to the farming households while the community leaders and the government officials were interviewed at their offices. The data obtained was analyzed using both quantitative as well as qualitative methods. Quantitative data for each question was analyzed by use of frequency while the qualitative data was analyzed by content analysis. The Statistical Packages of Social Sciences (SPSS) assisted in the analysis of quantitative data. The analysis revealed that the main explanation for the declining agricultural production is land fragmentation due to population pressure compounded by the cultural practice of land inheritance in Vihiga District. Secondly, land inheritance was the most common way of land acquisition. The study also revealed that 66 percent of the respondents did not have sufficient land for sustainable agriculture (below 0.4 hectares). On agricultural production, the study found that there was a general decline in production and mean sales of food crops. Findings on the socio economic effects of land fragmentation included food insecurity, reduced income, and increased disputes with neighbours. The findings confirmed that land fragmentation contributed significantly to the declining agricultural production among the farming households in Vihiga District. It was therefore recommended that cultural practice of land inheritance be reviewed and family planning should be enhanced so as to have manageable families and households to reduce pressure on land. Secondly, communal land use practices should be considered so as to avoid wastage of land due to separate homesteads. It was also recommended that a policy on land prohibiting subdivision of land beyond economical units be effected. Finally, the study recommended that an in depth study be carried out to determine in a more comprehensive manner the factors that affect agricultural production by use of logistic regression and also determine why people are so attached to ancestral land even where they have ability to buy own land elsewhere.

The effects of land fragmentation on agricultural production have been discussed by a number of studies. However, most of these studies have not investigated the factors that sustain fragmentation inspite of its negative manifestations on production and socio economic well being of the farming households. Studies by Bizimana (2006) suggested that more research has to be done in the area of cultural land inheritance system in African societies to establish the reason for its persistence even when it is uneconomical to sub divide land further. The study focused on fragmentation vis-a-vis how efficiency of resource use on farms varies with the size of a farm business and what implications variations in performance might hold for the reallocation of resources between area operated groups in pursuit of land redistribution. This study examined the effects of land fragmentation on agricultural production among the farming households in Vihiga particularly in Sabatia and South Maragoli of Vihiga District. The major variables considered in the study included: - household land size and agricultural production. Other variables; were population size, efficiency of resource use, land productivity, investment on the farm and the general welfare of the house holds. The dependent variable was agricultural production Moderating factors were efficiency in the utilization of resources/inputs, other investments on the farm, and the family size while the independent variable was the land size. The study analyzed documents in the government offices at Vihiga particularly the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands office, the District Development Office and interviewed the Provincial Administration personnel. The study further utilized data from the field to collaborate document analysis. The target population was 53,887 farming households. Two hundred farming households, thirty community leaders, and seven government officials were selected from the target population for the study. Information was collected using questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires were administered to the farming households while the community leaders and the government officials were interviewed at their offices. The data obtained was analyzed using both quantitative as well as qualitative methods. Quantitative data for each question was analyzed by use of frequency while the qualitative data was analyzed by content analysis. The Statistical Packages of Social Sciences (SPSS) assisted in the analysis of quantitative data. The analysis revealed that the main explanation for the declining agricultural production is land fragmentation due to population pressure compounded by the cultural practice of land inheritance in Vihiga District. Secondly, land inheritance was the most common way of land acquisition. The study also revealed that 66 percent of the respondents did not have sufficient land for sustainable agriculture (below 0.4 hectares). On agricultural production, the study found that there was a general decline in production and mean sales of food crops. Findings on the socio economic effects of land fragmentation included food insecurity, reduced income, and increased disputes with neighbours. The findings confirmed that land fragmentation contributed significantly to the declining agricultural production among the farming households in Vihiga District. It was therefore recommended that cultural practice of land inheritance be reviewed and family planning should be enhanced so as to have manageable families and households to reduce pressure on land. Secondly, communal land use practices should be considered so as to avoid wastage of land due to separate homesteads. It was also recommended that a policy on land prohibiting subdivision of land beyond economical units be effected. Finally, the study recommended that an in depth study be carried out to determine in a more comprehensive manner the factors that affect agricultural production by use of logistic regression and also determine why people are so attached to ancestral land even where they have ability to buy own land elsewhere.