Abstract:
Postharvest loss is one of the glaring challenges that affect agricultural development and overall improved livelihoods among farmers in developing countries. In Makueni County, farmers used to experience up to 60 per cent of post-harvest losses. However, in 2017, the County Government of Makueni established an agro-processing plant to curb post-harvest losses and raise incomes for fruit farmers in the County. In this respect, the study sought to ascertain how the growth of the Kalamba agro-processing fruit industry has affected the socio-economic well-being of farmers in Makueni County. The focus of the study was in Nzaui Sub County, as it is one of the top producers of mangoes and hosts the location of the industry. The specific objectives of the study sought to establish the effect of value addition, access to new markets, training and access to financial resources on socio-economic welfare of farmers in Nzaui Sub County. A descriptive research design was adopted for this study. Data was collected by administering a questionnaire to 384 mango and tomato farmers. The sample size was determined using the formula developed by Mugenda and Mugenda formula in 2012 based on the target population. Additionally, 1 Industry representative, 1 county agricultural officer and 1 co-operative society official were interviewed for the study. The data obtained was analysed using SPSS version 28 and excel software and results presented in graphs, tables and charts. The relationship between the variables was tested at a significant level of 0.05. The study results established that there is a very strong significant correlation between value addition and socio-economic welfare of farmers in Nzaui sub-County (r =.732** and a p-value of .000). The study recommends that support programmes should be introduced by the government so as to promote the improvement of the technical efficiency of the agro-processing industry and consequently the total factor productivity of the agro-processing industry. The study also recommends that there is need to support existing farmers’ associations and cooperatives. This will enable farmers to have good negotiation power on their produce and in the long run it will generate more income and hence improved welfare. The significance of the study will be to provide new information to scholars and researchers, food security experts, county governments, national governments and other relevant stakeholders.
Key words: Agro-processing, Farmers, Nzaui, Socio-economic welfare, Value addition,
