Four Seasons of Learning and Engaging Smallholder Farmers - icrisat

The consequences are that the improved varieties failing to reach the intended users at the time they are
needed or high seed prices. Therefore, government interventions to support the initial seed production
and distribution will be required at least in the short- to medium-term. The role of community level
risk management schemes like crop insurance schemes also need to be studied and integrated in the
interventions if found effective to reduce risk as a long-term strategy to encourage the growth of the
private sector in input markets.
Table 6-1: Average weighted rank of the bean production constraints in Eastern Kenya and Ethiopia
Constraint Eastern Kenya Ethiopia
Central Rift Valley
SNNPR
Drought 4.83 5.43 4.18
Pests and diseases 4.07 4.27 3.85
Poor access to good quality seed 4.17 4.66 3.64
Low availability of good quality seed 2.17 2.47 1.85
High price of good quality seed 2.00 2.19 1.79
Lack of high yielding seed varieties 2.48 3.18 1.70
Land-related issues
declined land sizes 3.51 3.04 4.03
Poor soil fertility 1.66 1.74 1.58
Labour-related problems 3.55 6.0 0.84
Shortage of labour 1.44 2.40 0.38
Labour intensive crop 0.63 1.17 0.03
High cost of labour 1.48 2.43 0.43
Others
Lack of markets 1.45 2.22 0.61
Lack of good storage facilities 0.90 1.27 0.49
Lack of information 0.73 1.25 0.15
NB: The weighted average rank was found by multiplying each rank attached in decreasing order of importance by its weight corresponding
to the importance. Weights were assigned to each rank in a descending order starting with 12 and ending with 1.
Table 6-2: Average total land size, utilization and contribution of non- farm income in eastern Kenya and
Ethiopia
Parameter
Eastern Kenya
(N=64)
Central Rift Valley*
(N=115)
SNNPR*
(N=105)
Average Landholding (ha) 1.680 2.680 1.700
Area allocated to the crops in a year
Cropped area (ha) 1.140 2.510 1.620
Bean area (ha) 0.330 0.874 0.338
Crop area occupied by common bean (%) 28.900 34.870 22.320
% contribution of non-farm income to household cash income
Petty trade 18.390 4.890 9.600
Formal off-farm employment 36.090 2.350 3.100
Remittances 17.470 - -
*Data for only meher (main, long-rain) season was used for Ethiopian sample because common bean is rarely cultivated in the belg (shortrain)
season
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Engaging Smallholder Farmers | Tropical Legumes II Project