Non-Economic Factors Associated with Adoption of Sprinkler Irrigation among Farmers in Kariandusi Location of Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

As the country embraces irrigation farming to mitigate the effects of unreliable rainfall, sprinkler irrigation is perhaps the most appropriate technology for agricultural areas with sloppy terrain. The ministries of agriculture and water have been partnering with other organizations to promote this type of irrigation through capacity building and limited input assistance. Kariandusi location was one beneficiary of such initiatives between the inistry f water and African Institute for Capacity Development, AICAD. Three years after the implementation of the project, mixed results were achieved with some farmers adopting the technology while others either opted for other irrigation methods or were stuck with rain-fed agriculture. This study was therefore carried out to understand the non-economic factors associated with adoption of the technology. It emerged that education level of the farmers, land tenure system and social capital are key non-economic factors associated with the adoption of sprinkler irrigation in Kariandusi Location.