Smallholder rural youth farming in Kiambu County, Kenya
This study (PDF) in the Journal of Culture, Society and Development aimed at highlighting age, gender participation and the role of literacy in small scale farming among the trained youth in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study population comprised trained agri-business young rural farmers aged 21 to 35 years who farmed on no more than 0.75 acres of land resident in Kabete Constituency. The authors show that a large majority (53%) of the trained youthful rural farmers had attained at least form four level of education compared to 40% of them who had college or University levels of education. These findings confirmed that guaranteed literacy among trained rural youthful famers in Kiambu County, Kenya was high (93%), an indicator for the likelihood of effective and successful farming. Over two-thirds (67.4%) of the rural youthful small-scale farmers in Kabete Constituency in Kiambu County, Kenya, has access to financial credit services compared 26.7% who did not have access and 5.9% who had not made up their mind about access to credit services. The rural youthful farmers had above average access to credit services in the study area, further the study established that slightly less than half (46.5%) of the farmers accessed their capital from their families through inheritance, 36% made savings and 17.5% accessed loans. Post-harvest challenge was the most prone challenge among youth framers and smallholder farming in Kabete constituency had improved lives of youths. To concluded, smallholder farming was offering a wide potential for rural youths by creating employment, encouraging savings, reducing food expenses and encouraged self-reliance among the youth. The study recommended review of agricultural policies that will accommodate the youth’s representation and protection of environment that supports farm. Also recommended is adoption of ICT in agricultural practice in Kenya.