Gendered analysis of risk attitudes and vegetable commercialization among smallholder farmers in Kilifi County

Abstract

Commercialization has potential of enabling rural households to advance in vegetable production through better access to financial services, and enriched market coordination and participation. In recent years, there have been efforts to boost vegetable commercialization particularly among smallholder female farmers in Kilifi County. Since risk attitudes vary from male to female farmers, the differences in risks and risk perceptions of farmers may in part explain the unwillingness of farmers to participate in vegetable commercialization. The existing literature on gender and risk attitudes in agricultural commercialization has been scanty among smallholder farmers. The general objective of the study is to contribute towards improved livelihood through enhanced vegetable commercialization among male and female smallholder farmers in Kilifi County. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select a sample of 332 smallholder vegetable farmers in Jilore and Kakuyuni wards of Malindi Sub-County, in Kilifi County. Primary data was collected through face-to-face interviews by use of a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Analyses were carried out using STATA statistical software version 14. Gender was categorized – based on who manages the vegetable farms – into male managed (37%), female managed (24%) and joint-management (39%). The Eckel and Grossman model was much preferred for eliciting risk attitudes of farmers. The results showed that 61% of the farmers were risk averse, 18% risk neutral and 21% risk loving. Among the risk averse, joint-management farmers were the most risk averse (44%) compared to male (34%) and female farmers (22%). Risk attitudes of farmers were positively influenced by age, group membership, household size, number of school years, off-farm activities and location dummy. On the other hand, Risk attitudes were influenced negatively by contact with extension agent, access to credit and the interaction term between group membership and level of trust. Additionally, the mean Household Commercialization Index (HCI) for all farmers was 0.74 suggesting that farmers were commercial oriented. Female farmers were found to have a lower HCI of 0.70 compared to male and joint-management who each had an HCI value of 0.75. Tobit model results revealed that risk attitude, household size, farm size, farm assets, access to credit, production information and social capital influenced the intensity of vegetable commercialization. The study therefore recommends policies and programs that will minimize the gravity of financial risks, promote access and ownership of productive resources and implementation of appropriate risk mitigation measures tailored to the needs of rural farmers, particularly among women, so as to enhance vegetable production and commercialization in Kilifi County.