Assessment of resilient capacities of typical and entrepreneurial dairy farms in Narok-Bomet and Nyandarua counties, Kenya

Elizabeth Otunga Wasike; Bockline O. Bebe; Olivier Kashongwe; James Ondiek; Jan van der Lee

doi:10.51867/ajernet.6.4.16

Authors

Elizabeth Otunga Wasike Egerton Univesity, Kenya
Bockline O. Bebe Egerton University, Kenya https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3547-0104
Olivier Kashongwe Egerton Univesity, Kenya https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6107-4084
James Ondiek Egerton University, Kenya https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5203-573X
Jan van der Lee Wageningen University, Netherlands https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9792-9120

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.6.4.16

Keywords:

Capacities, Dairy Growth, Market Access, Resilience Indicators, Resilience, Social Networks

Abstract

The dairy sector in Kenya is constrained by recurrent shocks spanning from climate change, which adversely intensifies production risks, to market risks coupled with poor infrastructural and technological advancement and institutional and financial risks. A move towards a robust, reliable, adaptive intensification and resilient dairy sector would ensure sustainability of the dairy farms in the face of these constant and intense shocks. This study examined the resilience capacities of 120 typical and entrepreneurial farms in Nyandarua County, with advanced dairy growth stage, and Narok County, with dairy growth at its inception phase. It is assumed that typical and entrepreneurial farms have different resilience capacities, with entrepreneurial farms perceived to be richly endowed and skilled, conferring higher resilience scores than typical dairy farms, which are also affected by environmental contexts. The resilience theory provides a platform for comprehending how farming systems react to risks and shocks through the three resilience frameworks, namely absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacities. The study adopted a comparative cross-sectional design, aiming to explore differences in risk perception and coping strategies between typical and entrepreneurial dairy farmers. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed statistically. Using the stratified sampling method, cooperatives were identified, and a list of farmers selling to the cooperatives was categorized as typical if they sold up to 50 liters of milk with no increase over the last 5 years. Otherwise, they were entrepreneurial farmers if they consistently sold over 50 liters of milk with growth over the same period. Indicators for resilience were captured by use of indicators for absorptive, adaptive, and transformative resilience capacities. The indicators were first standardized and then weighted through Principle Component Analysis (PCA) using SPSS version 23 and finally fitted into a fractional regression model to generate the resilience indices. Absorptive and adaptive capacities were weak in both farm groups, with information systems, social networks, and human capital indicators being underutilized, whereas physical assets contributed significantly to these frameworks. Greater transformative capacity was demonstrated by entrepreneurial farms than in typical farms, with institutional and infrastructural indicators contributing significantly to the index. The overall resilience for both farm types was below 0.5, indicating an overall systemic vulnerability. Entrepreneurial farms had statistically higher resilience scores than typical farms. Enhancing resilience across the two farm types calls for strengthened human capital, social capital, extension services, and investment in infrastructure, which supports dairy farming.

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