ABSTRACT

The horticulture industry sustains millions of livelihoods in Kenya through local and export markets.The study sought to assess the economic efficiency of tomato production with a view to initiating appropriate interventions, including informing tomato development initiatives and policy makers. The research took a broad use of survey design, literature review and insight analysis, the sub-components of explanatory design. The study was conducted in Turbo sub-county, Uasin Gishu County; a unit among the major small scale tomato fruit production areas in Kenya. The sampling technique involved both multistage and simple random sampling techniques. 

Data was collected using questionnaires, observations and interviews methods. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize and describe the sample. The inferential statistics were also used to generalize the study from the sample to the whole sub-county .The study made use of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) vol.16 to analyze the data and eventually coming up with conclusions and recommendations.

According to the findings, majority of the respondents were male of the age around 40 years. The findings also indicated that most of the farmers were dropouts of primary level and were not capable of keeping records. The study also revealed that most of the respondents had no access to credit while those who had access to it preferred borrowing from farmers SACCO than commercial banks and friends. The findings on extension services revealed that many farmers had not accessed extension services. The farmers also preferred selling their produce through middlemen than to customers directly to the market. On average, the findings revealed that farmers apportioned relatively small part of their land to tomato farming and that they had been in the enterprise for 3 years.

It was recommended that government and other important stake holders in tomato industry should try as much as possible to provide extension services and education to farmers. The cost of capital for agriculture needs to be reduced to enhance efficiency in this industry. There was also need to sensitize youth to involve themselves in agriculture and more so in tomato farming. Similar studies should also be carried out in other parts of the county for comparison purposes. Research should be conducted on other factors that affect tomato output too.

Table of Contents

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE 

INTRODUCTION

Background Information

Problem Statement

Objectives of the Study

Research Questions

Justification

Limitations of the Study

Operational Definitions

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE VIEW

Overview

Literature Review on Economic Efficiency

Empirical Review and Methodology

Conceptual Framework

CHAPTER THREE

Research Methodology

Research Design

Study Area

Sampling Procedure

Data Collection Tool

Data Collection

Data Analysis

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Descriptive Statistics

Inferential Statistics

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary

Conclusions

Recommendations

Recommendation to practitioners

Recommendations for further study

REFERENCES

APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE