Drivers of extent of commercialization of potato farming through digital marketing platforms in Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

Digital agricultural marketing platforms have emerged as one of the key tools for facilitating farmers’ access to markets. While previous studies have predominantly focused on examining factors influencing adoption of these platforms, there remains a gap in understanding factors that determine the proportion of a farmer’s produce marketed through the platforms. This knowledge is crucial for effective scaling up of digital marketing platforms. Consequently, this research aimed to evaluate the extent of commercialization of potato farming through Digital Agricultural Marketing Platforms (DAMPs), with a specific focus on the M-shamba platform in Kenya. To achieve this objective, data was collected in 2022 from a sample of 375 potato farmers from Nakuru County. The data was analyzed with Stata using probit and Tobit models through the conditional mixed process. The findings revealed that total farm income, price per kilogram of output, access to credit, size of the farm dedicated to potato cultivation, and age of the household head influenced the use of M-shamba platform. Further, the extent of commercialization through M-shamba was significantly determined by total livestock units, marketing decision-maker, having potato farming as primary enterprise, farm income, access to credit, membership to agricultural groups, and age of the household head. In light of these findings, the study recommends targeted support and training programs for older farmers to enhance their proficiency in utilizing DAMPs. Moreover, policies and initiatives aimed at increasing farm income should be implemented to assist farmers with limited incomes. Farmers in groups should be encouraged to participate in collective digital marketing efforts.