Abstract:
The study examined the factors influencing the adoption of certified maize seeds among farmers
in Saboti Sub-County, Kenya. The study aimed at addressing the missing link in the awareness
and usage of certified maize seed among rural farmers in Saboti Sub- county .A simple random
sampling technique and purposive sampling technique were used to get a sample size of 100
respondents with required characteristics among which 70 are ordinary farmers, 5 farmers
leaders, 5 county officials, 7 agricultural extension officers, 3 area local chiefs and 10 are seed
companies personnel from a population of 13,000. Schedules and questionnaire were the data
collecting instruments was administered by the help of the research assistants and the researcher
himself. Analysis of the data was done using descriptive statistics and statistical package for
sciences and social sciences (SPSS) for processing and presentation of the data collected. The
findings of descriptive analysis showed that the level of education, access to credit and the
membership of the cooperative societies had positive influence on the adoption of the certified
seeds. The common sources of information and seed supply as revealed by the study was
extension education, seed companies and the supply was mainly down by the research institution
and the seed companies present in the area. The constraints to the adoption of the certified seeds
were high interest rates, fund misallocation, high input costs, some of the member’s not
receiving extension education and distance in accessing the stockiest of the certified seeds.
Therefore better policy measures to ensure timely supply of the seeds at affordable price,
regulation of the inters rate of the loans given to the farmers, hiring of more extension officers
and the need of getting formal education and better allocation of the resources was
recommended.
