Assessing the Impact of Land Fragmentation on Agricultural Productivity and Rural Development in Vihiga County, Kenya

Abstract

Increased population pressures affect land as it is divided again and again resulting in poor yields in agriculture. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish the Legislative changes and population growth as factors leading to land fragmentation in Vihiga County, Kenya. Following the Agricultural Production Function Model, the study was descriptively cross-sectional. The study was undertaken in Vihiga County. Purposive sampling together with the stratified random sampling technique was adopted to recruit participants to the study. The population was over 10,000 therefore sample determination was done using Fisher’s formula which gave 384 peasant farmers with subdivided farms. Quantitative data were gathered using, Likert-scale questionnaires that were semi-structured, while qualitative data were gathered using interview guides. Quasi-experimental research design incorporated both quantitative and qualitative data that used both descriptive and inferential analysis. The study showed that 58percent of the households had land of half-quarter to half acre, 71 percent. 3 percent of farmers are owning the land for farming. On the issue of land fragmentation 94 % of the respondents agreed that this was prevalent mainly as a result of inheritance. Also, 48% of subdivisions produced subdivided plots that were less than a quarter acre, therefore reducing the productivity of farm land and posing difficultly in managing it. While 84% of responded farmers had less than one acre of land, only 16% had more than one acre of land which was strongly indicating the level of land fragmentation. Additionally, on 66 percent of the agricultural: land size farmed was between a quarter and half an acre. It revealed that farm productivity had positive relation with larger land size (r = 0. 888). Descriptive statistics and inferential tests showed a strong positive relationship between land size, land ownership and productivity found out that large block of size is productive. This also affected the investment in modern and mechanized farming practices with a correlation of -0. 598 as the fragmentation was associated with low yields and low profitability or economic return with r = - 0. 443. Based on the findings of the study, the researcher concludes that land consolidation is crucial in increasing agriculture productivity and supports the policies dealing with efficient use of the limited land resources. This study recommended that in the event of addressing the issue of fragmentation prioritization of land consolidation and the encouragement of land ownership reforms to accommodate investments in different techniques in support of superior usage of land, thereby increasing agricultural, production and sustainability levels.