Abstract:
This research study investigated the food crop
farming skills and knowledge held by smallholder crop farmers in
Teso South Sub-County to promote sustainable farming practices.
The study objectives were; to investigate the food crop farming
skills and knowledge held by smallholder farmers for sustainable
farming in Teso South Sub- County, Busia County – Kenya, to
examine the relationship between gender and skills of
smallholders’ food crop farmers in Teso South Sub- County, Busia
County – Kenya and to determine association between previous
trainings and food crop knowledge and skills held by the
smallholder crop farmers in Teso South Sub- County, Busia
County – Kenya. Data was collected using a structured
questionnaire. The study revealed that smallholders’ farmers had
received trainings that lasted between one hour and three days,
some of which had been taken 10 years ago. A Chi-square test for
independence (with Yates Continuity Correction) indicated no
significant association between gender and previous training
status of the smallholders’ farmers, χ2 (4, n = 124) = 4.37, p = .359,
phi = .18. Also, a Chi-square test for independence (with Yates
Continuity Correction) indicated no significant association
between food crop farming skill and knowledge held by
smallholders’ farmers and previous training status of the
smallholders’ farmers, χ2 (4, n = 124) = 2.03, p = .731, phi = .12.
The study recommended that gender should never be used to
design training programmes since the proficiency levels of skill
and knowledge of both male and female farmers are relatively the
same.
Description:
This research study investigated the food crop
farming skills and knowledge held by smallholder crop farmers in
Teso South Sub-County to promote sustainable farming practices.
The study objectives were; to investigate the food crop farming
skills and knowledge held by smallholder farmers for sustainable
farming in Teso South Sub- County, Busia County – Kenya, to
examine the relationship between gender and skills of
smallholders’ food crop farmers in Teso South Sub- County, Busia
County – Kenya and to determine association between previous
trainings and food crop knowledge and skills held by the
smallholder crop farmers in Teso South Sub- County, Busia
County – Kenya. Data was collected using a structured
questionnaire. The study revealed that smallholders’ farmers had
received trainings that lasted between one hour and three days,
some of which had been taken 10 years ago. A Chi-square test for
independence (with Yates Continuity Correction) indicated no
significant association between gender and previous training
status of the smallholders’ farmers, χ2 (4, n = 124) = 4.37, p = .359,
phi = .18. Also, a Chi-square test for independence (with Yates
Continuity Correction) indicated no significant association
between food crop farming skill and knowledge held by
smallholders’ farmers and previous training status of the
smallholders’ farmers, χ2 (4, n = 124) = 2.03, p = .731, phi = .12.
The study recommended that gender should never be used to
design training programmes since the proficiency levels of skill
and knowledge of both male and female farmers are relatively the
same.