Correlates of group-membership by small-scale farm entrepreneurs in Kenya

Organizations of small-scale farm entrepreneurs play a key role in organizing the production, processing and marketing of crop and livestock commodities in Kenya. Membership to such organizations is considered to yield economic benefits to farmers as well as promote their general welfare. This study assesses the association between membership to groups and household attributes or welfare indicators using 1097 households drawn from panel database of Tegemeo Institute of Egerton University. The households that had members joining the groups were characterised by higher incomes, higher education level of head of household, greater access to credit, assets of higher value, more cultivated land and higher adoption of modern agricultural technologies. There was a positive correlation between membership to a group and household welfare. This underscores the need to promote formation of smallholder farmers' organizations as well as support their sustainability.