Influence of national accelerated agricultural inputs access programme on maize production in Nyamarambe Division, Kisii County

Abstract

This study was on the influence of national accelerated agricultural inputs access program (NAAIAP) on maize production in Nyamarambe division, KisiiCounty, Kenya. The study was guided by the following objectives; To determine how provision of free farm inputs influence maize production in Nyamarambe division, Kisii county, Kenya, to establish to what extent farmer group trainings influence maize production in Nyamarambe division, Kisii county, Kenya, to examine how farm follow up visits influences maize production in Nyamarambe division, Kisii county, Kenya and to assess how holding of farmer field days influences maize production in Nyamarambe division, Kisii county, Kenya. The research questions werecentered on the four objectives which guided this study.

Literature review on the Concept of national accelerated agricultural inputs access program (NAAIAP) provision of free farm inputs, Farmer group training, farm follow up visits, and holding of farmer's field days. This study was based on subsidy theory; this theory on providing farm inputs and capacity building support to farmer in order to increase production and the chapter also covers theoretical Framework and Conceptual Framework.This research used a descriptive research design as it seeks to analyze the relationship between the variables that influence maize production in NAAIAP program.

The criterion for the selection of the study population was based on the NAAIAP program beneficiaries who received program services covering distribution of input grants and capacity building by the government of Kenya to resource poor farmers in the division during the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 financial year. A total of one thousand two hundred farmers received program services and thus this was the study population. A pre-test of research instruments weredone in the Nyakembene location to twenty participants to determine the reliability and validity of the data collection instruments.

Data was collected using one type of questionnairewhich wasadministered on the sampled beneficiaries and the resulting data collected was coded and entered into frequency tables. Data analysis presentation and analysis outputs are descriptive statistics in form of frequency tables, percentages and mean. Inferential statistics used were also usedcorrelation analysis aided the researcher on determining the relationship between variables. This research established that the NAAIAP program intervention led to increased maize production in Nyamarambe division.