Relations between household poverty, land use, land management,social networks and agricultural production in Nyando and Muhoroni Sub Counties-Kenya.

Abstract

Poverty is a serious and enduring problem in many developing countries with the poor constituting more than half of the Kenyan population. Muhoroni and Nyando sub-Counties in Kisumu County continue to have a high poverty rate despite the declining percentage of Kenyans living below the international poverty line. This study focused on the relations between household poverty, land use, land management, social networks and agricultural production in Nyando and Muhoroni sub counties. A survey research design was used in this study. Systematic random sampling was used to select 250 respondents who participated in the study. The questionnaire was used in data collection, entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20.0); and analysed both descriptively and inferentially. The Spearman’s Rank Order correlation (ρ) was used to establish the relationship between household poverty and land use; the relations between household poverty and land management; the relationship between memberships to social networks and poverty; and the relationship between poverty and agricultural production. The study determined that: A large proportion of the (64 per cent) of the respondents in Muhoroni and Nyando sub-counties are poor. Second, there is a statistically significant but weak positive correlation between household poverty and land use (rho = 0.269, ρ {0.000} < 0.01). Third, there is a statistically significant and moderate positive correlation between land management and household poverty (rho = 0.397, ρ {0.000} < 0.01). Fourth, there is a statistically significant but weak positive correlation between membership in social networks and house poverty (rho = 0.233, ρ {0.000} < 0.01. Finally, there is a statistically significant and moderate positive correlation between agricultural production and house poverty (rho = 0.364, p {0.000} < 0.01). The study concluded that: land use patterns in Nyando and Muhoroni sub Counties have significant implications on household poverty. that the adoption of land management practices is a proxy measure pertinent to of household poverty; those social networks are a significant strategy for reducing poverty and that increased agricultural productivity is crucial to household poverty alleviation. Consequently, the study makes the following recommendations. First, policies that target effective land use practices should be formulated. Second, there is a need to encourage households to seek agricultural extension services to keep abreast with current and appropriate and sustainable land management practices. Third, it is pertinent to build the capacity of social networks to enable them better serve members’ needs in terms of agriculture and land management. Finally, there is need for collaboration between national and county government of Kisumu in the formulation of technical policies that can foster the adoption of appropriate agricultural technologies and equipment by rural households.