Abstract:
Proponents of biotechnology assert that this technology offers enormous
opportunities to poor farmers and low-income consumers in developing countries.
However, this study has revealed that very little can be accomplished in solving the
problems of the rural poor in Africa unless a holistic approach is used to address the
problems that they face in maintaining sustainable food production, security, and
poverty reduction. The study was conducted to establish the constraints that limited
the farmers in Kenya from adopting tissue culture (TC) banana technology. The
solutions to these constraints were also examined. The study was done by use of
structured research and was carried out in 12 districts of Central and Eastern Kenya
where one hundred and seventy farmers were interviewed. In addition seventy-two
traders and transporters in 36 markets in the region were also interviewed. The
results of the study revealed that the TC banana technology has a great potential to
the farming community in Kenya and has enormous provision for extended local
market. However, the constraints identified by the stakeholders need to be addressed
adequately before the potential is realized.
