Agro-dealer advisory services and the promotion of commercial organic fertilizers among smallholder farmers in Kenya

Résumé

Background Declining soil fertility, particularly rising acidity from prolonged use of synthetic fertilizers, remains a major constraint on crop productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Commercial organic fertilizers (COFs) provide a sustainable alternative by enriching soils with essential nutrients and enhancing structure and microbial activity. Agro-dealers, as central intermediaries in input supply chains, are strategically placed to promote COFs, yet their advisory role is not well understood. Methods This study examines factors influencing agro-dealers' provision of COF advisory services in Kenya, using data from 584 agro-input retailers across six counties. Conditional Mixed Process (CMP) models and Maximum Likelihood Seemingly Unrelated Regression are applied to estimate the effects of soil, agronomic, and fertilizer-specific factors on advisory behavior. Results Results show that knowledge, supplier incentives, and involvement in demonstration plots strongly predict advisory services, while soil degradation, crop stage, and weather also matter. Conclusion Findings underscore the importance of training, extension support, and market incentives in strengthening advisory capacity.

Citer ce document

Accès au document

Ce document est hébergé sur son dépôt institutionnel d'origine.

Auteur(s)

Statistiques

Consultations : 1

Téléchargements : 0