Influence of selected factors on marketing of pyrethrum products of small holder farmers in Kisii County, Kenya

Abstract

Pyrethrum production, processing and marketing has been faced with many challenges, evidenced by Kenya losing the top position of global supplier of pyrethrum. Kenya used to control 70% of the global pyrethrum market share. However, the production, processing and marketing of pyrethrum flowers has dwindled in recent years. According to the Pyrethrum Board of Kenya, markets have been lost to other competing countries, while farmers are shifting to alternative crops. While past studies have demonstrated that there are many factors that influence marketing of agricultural produce, little focus has been made specifically on factors influencing marketing of pyrethrum from small holder farmers. This study therefore sought to examine the influence of selected factors on the marketing of pyrethrum products of small holder farmers in Kisii County. The specific objectives of the study were to establish the influence of quality related factors, competition related factors, farmers‟ cooperative societies and infrastructure related factors on the marketing of pyrethrum of small holder farmers. A correlational and cross sectional survey research design was adopted for the study. The target population was 950 pyrethrum farmers drawn from three pyrethrum growing constituencies of Kisii County. The farmers were members of Masaba Farmers‟ Cooperative Union, through their respective 12 Pyrethrum Farmers‟ Cooperative Societies (FCS). A sample of 274 farmers was picked proportionately from the three constituencies. The farmers‟ details were provided by the Masaba Farmers‟ Cooperative Union, and the sample was drawn from the 12 Farmers Co-operative Societies in 3 the pyrethrum growing constituencies in Kisii County. Research data was collected using questionnaires and the process took 3 months from June to August 2014. The questionnaire was administered to 274 pyrethrum farmers in Kisii County. Farmers were given the questionnaires by the FCS managers as they entered the FCS premises for their 2014 Annual General meetings. They were requested to fill and return the questionnaires to the managers the same day. This process was repeated in all the 12 FCSs on different dates. To summarize the data, descriptive statistics such as mean, frequencies and percentages were used. To test the hypotheses, Pearson‟s correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were used. The results were presented using tables. The results revealed that there is a positive significant influence of the selected factors of quality related factors on marketing, competition related factors on marketing, farmers‟ cooperative societies on marketing and infrastructure related factors on marketing of pyrethrum products by smallholder farmers. The results also revealed that of the selected factors, infrastructure related factors had the most influence on marketing of pyrethrum followed by quality related factors, FCS, and competition related factors respectively. The findings further showed that quality related factors, competition related factors, FCS, and infrastructure related factors jointly have a positive significant influence on marketing of pyrethrum from smallholder farmers in Kisii County. The study recommended that in order to improve the marketing of pyrethrum from small holder farmers in Kisii County, the national and county governments and the Pyrethrum Directorate enhance pyrethrum quality to make it more competitive, revamp pyrethrum farmers‟ cooperative societies to improve marketing services to farmers, and improve infrastructure to ease logistics of pyrethrum products into the market. To scholars, the researcher recommended replication of the study in other pyrethrum growing counties to enhance understanding of factors that influence marketing of pyrethrum from smallholder farmers in Kenya.