The effect of the Kinyara out growers scheme on household food security.

Abstract

The overall purpose of this study is analyzing the effect of Kinyara out-grower scheme on household food security. Specifically, the study aimed at determining the level of food insecurity among sugarcane growers in Kinyara, studying their socio-economic status and then assessing the effect of sugar cane growing on food insecurity in Kinyara. This study utilized an exploratory research design involving qualitative and quantitative data. This design was deemed appropriate for this study since it seeks to provide insights and outstanding effects of the out-grower scheme to the household food insecurity or the factors affecting food security amongst the out-grower farmers the causes of food insecurity to the sugarcane out grower farmers and the possible solutions to the food insecurity amongst the sugarcane out growers. A sample size of 240 respondents was computed using the Taro Yamane’s formula. The study also accounted for a 5% non-response. Respondents were selected on the basis of simple random sampling where each farmer was assigned an equal chance of selection into the sample. The one-way ANOVA was estimated to find out the effect of sugarcane growing scheme at Kinyara sugarcane works on food security. Results showed that sugarcane growers were food insecure as related to non-sugarcane growers who were found to have much of their land subjected to farming food crops. Besides, sugarcane growing, sugarcane growers need to put aside part of their land for food production, else much of the incomes from the sugarcane growing would be spent into buying food from the market thus extorting much of their surpluses and leaving them at a higher cost and poor standards of leaving.