EFFECTS OF GENDER AND LAND USE RIGHTS ON CANE PRODUCTION IN TONGAREN SUB-COUNTY, BUNGOMA COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Sugarcane is one of the main economic crops grown in Kenya, particularly in western Kenya.Low and decline incane production has led to the sugar industry go through a recession in the last decade. Many farmers are uprooting cane in favour of other commercial crops.Kenya is supposed to be self-sufficient in sugar production due to the favorable physical conditions supporting cane productivity. However, it has become a net importer of sugar in the recent years. This paper looks at the impact of farmers' socio-economic factors affecting sugarcane production in Tongaren Sub-county, Kenya. The paperexamines effects of gender and land use rights on cane production in Tongaren Sub-county, Bungoma County, Kenya. The target population was 260 registered sugarcane farmers. A simple random sampling was used in the selection of 100 respondents. Piloting was carried out in Bumula Sub-county, Bungoma County, to test the validity and reliability of the research tool. Content validity was determined by research experts to ensure that the questionnaire is relevant to the research.The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of determination was 0.87.The data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0 and presented in the form of tables and graphs. The results of the study found that the gender of farmers had a significant effect on sugar cane production (β = 0.170, p <0.05) while land use rights has a significant effect on sugar cane yield with a β = 0.231 and p <0.05. The study concluded that the gender of farmers and land use rights significantly impact on sugar cane production. This paper recommends that more women should be empowered to own land as they are the major contributors to the production of cane production as opposite to the male counterparts