Effects of Infrastructural Development on Marketing of Agricultural Products in Kwale County, Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the effects of infrastructural development on marketing agricultural products in Matuga Sub County in Kwale, Kenya. The study employed a descriptive design to find out what, where, who and how it can occur without changing the subject. The study used quantitative and qualitative methods to obtain hybrid data. The research targeted a population of 770 farmers in agricultural Saccos within the Sub County with a sample size of 154 farmers and 15 key informative interviews totaling 169 respondents who were issued with questionnaires. The key informative interview persons were as follows: 3 CECMs Trade, Infrastructure and Agriculture, 2 Sacco’s chairpersons, 5 Retailer traders, one in every ward, 2 Area chiefs, 2 Youth and 1 Religious leader in Matuga. Data was collected using a questionnaire and key-informant interview then results were analysed through SPSS version 16.0. This study's significance is that it was a source of primary data to inform policy and stakeholder engagement in the role of infrastructural development in the promotion of the marketing of agricultural products. The researcher established that most roads are not all-weather, and farmers take long hours to deliver their farm produce to the Market. In addition, the farmers transport most of their products to the Kongowea market in Mombasa County. Hence, the national and county governments need to come up with policies to set funds for infrastructure development within the sub-county.