Determinants of Agribusiness Diversification Among Women Agri-Preneurs in Njoro and Molo Sub-Counties in Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

Participating in agribusiness value chains is significant for growth and development of an economy. Women have been noted to have low participation in agribusiness activities as compared to men because women face challenges such as inaccessibility and ownership of assets, social cultural hindrances, lower market innovativeness and versatility factors. To reduce these challenges faced by women agri-preneurs, there is need to adopt agribusiness diversification to ensure the success of agribusiness enterprises. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that influence the number of agribusiness lines that female agri-preneurs participate in. This study was carried out in Njoro and Molo Sub-counties in Nakuru County, Kenya between March and August 2023. A standard Poisson regression model was carried out to examine the number of agribusiness lines that female agri-preneurs have to maximize revenue and spread risks associated with post production agribusiness activities such as selling, distribution and value addition of agricultural products. The study sampled 267 female in agribusinesses, both group participants and non-participants. Data processing was done using SPSS and STATA software. The results showed that age, education level, Leadership position, size of agribusiness enterprise, time taken in the agribusiness activities and ability of the female agri-preneurs to borrow loans positively influence the number of agribusiness lines that women agri-preneurs have.