Influence of Institutional Factors on Agricultural Investments and Support Technologies in Enhancing Food Sufficiency in Tharaka-Nithi County, Kenya

Abstract

Agricultural investments and support technologies play a vital role in improving agricultural productivity, profitability, and sustainability by allocating financial, physical, and human resources to farming activities. This study investigated how agricultural investments and the use of support technologies enhance household food sufficiency among smallholder farmers, with particular emphasis on the role of institutional factors. A descriptive research design was employed to collect quantitative and qualitative data from a sample of 398 respondents in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. Quantitative data were gathered using structured questionnaires administered to farming households, while qualitative data were obtained through key informant interviews with agricultural officers, cooperative leaders, and other relevant stakeholders. The study revealed that institutional factors significantly influenced both agricultural investments and the adoption of support technologies. High input costs were identified as the primary constraint to agricultural investment (M = 4.20), while corruption (M = 4.13) and political interference (M = 4.07) further hindered investment decisions and technology uptake. Conversely, key institutional drivers including market access, farmer organizations, research collaboration, subsidies, credit availability, extension services, cooperatives, and farmer training were perceived as essential enablers, with mean scores ranging from 3.80 to 3.98 on the Likert scale. Based on these findings, the study recommends that national and county governments strengthen institutional support by expanding access to affordable inputs and credit, enhancing extension services, promoting transparency in subsidy programs, and strengthening farmer cooperatives, research partnerships, and market linkages to improve household food sufficiency.