EFFECTS OF KALE AND TOMATO COMMERCIALIZATION ON AGRIBUSINESS REGULATORY COMPLIANCE AND FOOD SAFETY: A CASE OF SELECTED AREAS IN NAIROBI, KIRINYAGA AND KIAMBU COUNTIES

Abstract

The commercialization of fresh vegetables is crucial in enhancing revenues from crop farming and ensuring reliable supply of high-quality produce for consumers. However, this can only be guaranteed under ethical application of agrochemicals beyond which it could result in serious public health and environmental impacts. The present study sought to investigate the influence of kale and tomato commercialization in subverting ethical application of agrochemicals. The researcher adopted a cross-sectional survey design to randomly recruit a sample of kale and tomato farmers (n=118) and kale and tomato consumers (n=235) from selected areas in Nairobi, Kirinyaga and Kiambu counties respectively. Data on agrochemical use, crop diversity and scale as well as logistical issues regarding proximity to markets and social status of the crop farmers were collected using a researcher-administered questionnaire in a one-on-one interview. A similar approach was adopted to interview consumers’ social status and vegetable consumption patterns. These data were initially entered on MS Excel spread sheets for cleaning and later transferred to Minitab (Ver 12) for statistical analyses. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to isolate crucial commercialization factors responsible for varying agrochemical use behaviours among crop farmers and later presented in scree plots. It emerged that household size (Eigen value EV=3.63) and income (EV=2.61) and farm size (EV=1.27) accounted for 68.4% of variability in agrochemical abuse. Lab results tested positive for 10 problematic pesticides including known carcinogens and highly hazardous agrochemicals such as Macozeb, Malathion, Chlorothalonil and Cypermethrin. About 53.62% of these chemicals were present in samples collected from small-scale tomato farmers (below KShs 15,000 capital requirements). None of the consumer profile factors tested positive in influencing consumer behaviours of tomatoes and kale or agrochemical use. The study concludes that the present commercialization of tomatoes and kales is driven by low-income earners’ bid to earn a livelihood. However, their capital limitations push them to farm outside planned areas such as forests fringes, riverbanks or low potential zones in which they face extraordinary vi pressure from pests and diseases which in turn compel them to abuse agrochemicals. This finding also explains their marginalization from county government extension services, high costs of market access and potential to experiment with classified agrochemicals. There is reason to believe that both farmers and consumers could be heavily exposed to which the study proposes a population-based survey to assess agrochemical poisoning. The study recommends a concerted effort to create awareness about agrochemical safety to both farmers and consumers. The researcher feels that the creation of local producer groups could accelerate the adoption of safe agrochemical use behaviours and peer-based enforcement. The local groups could also strengthen advocacy for extension services from government and raise bargaining power for fairer prices in the market.