Abstract: Without adequate inputs, farmers cannot meet the food needs of their families and those of the rapidly growing population. The cost of key inputs such as seed, pesticides, fertilizer, drugs and vaccines is high for resource poor farmers. When governments want to ensure there is sufficient food for its citizens, a variety of governmental supports are provided to the industry to ensure it maintains low costs of production and high output. This is generally in the form of subsidies. The general objective of the study was to investigate the effects of subsidized agricultural subsidies on the welfare of small holder farmers in Nambale Sub County in Busia County. The specific objectives were to examine how access to subsidized farm inputs and agricultural mechanization influence the welfare of small holder farmers in Nambale Sub County. Purposive sampling was used to select 320 small holder farmers out of which 309 were reached. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). Findings revealed that subsidized farm inputs had a weak but significant positive relationship with the socioeconomic welfare of small holder farmers. Agricultural mechanization had a weak but significant positive relationship with socioeconomic welfare of small holder farmers. The regression model summary indicated that subsidized farm inputs and agricultural mechanization accounted for 20.8% of the variations in socioeconomic welfare of small holder farmers which means that other factors not considered in the study could explain the remaining variance. More resources need to be allocated for subsidized agricultural inputs and their distribution made more regular. There is need to have the tractors for agricultural mechanization easily accessible and in good working condition for small holder farmers to realize maximum benefits.
Keywords: Agricultural inputs; agricultural mechanization; agricultural subsidies; socioeconomic welfare.
Title: Effects of government agricultural subsidies on socioeconomic welfare of small holder farmers in Nambale Sub County, Busia County, Kenya
Author: Catherine Kalibo, Dr. Clive Mukanzi
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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