TREE NURSERY ADOPTION AS STRATEGIC ENTERPRISE ON LIVELIHOOD IMPROVEMENT AT THE MILLENIUM VILLAGE’S PROJECT, SIAYA COUNTY KENYA

Abstract

Smallholder tree nursery enterprises are a significant aspect of efforts to improve livelihood to increase tree cover and livelihood improvement in rural areas. However due to widespread poverty, many such nurseries have been ill managed and produce insufficient stock of seedlings. As an interventional measure, Millennium Villages project was initiated by (ICRAF) World Agroforestry Centre in the county. The study was carried out to determine the adoption of tree nursery practices as strategic enterprise on livelihood improvement at the millennium village‘s project in Siaya County. The specific objectives of the study were to: determine the seed supply and quality of smallholders‘ nurseries; estimate the economic benefits of adopting smallholders‘ nurseries; evaluate the tree nursery management practices in the smallholder‘s nurseries and asses constraints to adoption of smallholders nurseries at the Millennium Villages Project (MVP), Siaya County. The study was conducted through an exploratory survey design. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews and document analysis. It was established that 56% of the respondents adopted the tree nursery, where preference was dominated by Eucalyptus grandis (97%), Cupressus lusitanica (96.2%), Grevillea robusta (91.2%), and Casuarina equisetifolia (86.6%). It was also established that 64% of the respondents used seeds, 40% seedlings and 30% used wildings from different sources ranging from KEFRI, government, and other source within and outside establishments, but about a half of the farmers were not sure of the quality of the germplasm. In terms of economics of tree production, total number of seedling per plot in single species establishments were 12,050 seedlings, which was lower than that from the mixed tree nursery establishments (15,420 seedlings), resulting in higher revenue of Kshs 200,460 compared to single species establishments (Kshs 180,750) and net returns above TVC of 34% and 46% respectively. Break-even prices were lower than the unit selling price. Four main challenges were identified as responsible for poor adoption of the smallholder tree nursery among farmers namely lack capital (92.3%), lack of quality seeds (85.2%), lack of technical skills (80%) and need for increased food production (79.1%). Meanwhile the most ranked problem among farmers were lack of capital, quality seeds, technical skills and need to invest more in food production. The study recommends that there is need to continue with the support of the small holder‘s tree farmers to enhance their capacity to adopt the tree nurseries.