Factors influencing adoption of fish farming along the value chain in Kibwezi, Makueni County, Kenya

Communities in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALS) are confronted with a number of challenges that include limited livelihood choices, high livestock mortality during drought, poverty and malnutrition, among others. Although past studies have shown that most farmers under Edonomic Stitmulus Programme adopted fish pond farming, limited studies dealt with farmers in arid and semi-arid lands in Kenya. This study was carried out in Kibwezi to determine factors influencing adoption of fish farming along the value chain post Economic Stimullus Programme (ESP). Actors along the value chain were fish farmers, input suppliers, processors, traders, and consumers. Data were collected using semi- structured questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS software. Results of a logit regression showed that fish market access (0.001), group membership (0.012), and age (0.020) were positively significant. Education levels (0.004) and distance to input markets (0.004) were negatively significant to adoption of fish farming. Forty one percent of fish farmers were female. This was a good pointer to the needed strategy to alleviate poverty and malnutrition. Extension services were not felt as many did not have information on fisheries. This study affirmed fish farming as one of the livelihood choices that could mitigate poverty and malnutrition in Kibwezi and possibly in other similar ecosystems. This would work better with marketing information for the fish farmers.