Influence of Value Addition to Agricultural Produce and Result Based Monitoring and Evaluation to Households Food Security in Murang’a County, Kenya

Abstract

Climate change is real and has created weather patterns that are not only complicated for metrological interpretation but also pose harm to agriculture and food production activities across the globe. The Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation Systems helps in promoting good governance in research projects, strengthening accountability of household food resources utilization; facilitating transparency throughout project measurement; promoting understanding of Monitoring and Evaluation process amongst all stakeholders and enable effective utilization of value addition to food management throughout the food pipeline from produce to consumption activities and processes. Since agriculture is the backbone of food production in Kenya, food security is seriously threatened and as indicated in the recent cases of famine in Baringo and Turkana and parts of Central Kenya, it is clear that if not intercepted the situation may develop to a level that is unmanageable and thwart the existence of human beings. The stakeholders need several interventions’ to successfully intervene in elevating the food situation, such as : a) Identify and map areas affected by famine in the region, b) Identify and adapt short term and drought resistant food crops, c) Introduce water fed modern irrigation farming methods to supplement on the rain reliance rain farming which is coupled unpredictable rainfall shortage in the region, d) To adopt greenhouse farming methods for weather sensitive crops e) Carry out intensive value addition to food produce in order to reduce post-harvest food loses throughout the food process. The result shows significant a positive significant effect moderating influence in model three (R= 0.836a, R2=0.699, F=577.639, P-value<0.05) which is strong and significant, suggesting a moderating effect in value addition on model three after an interaction term is introduced. The target group for the project are small scale farmers in the semi-arid areas of Murang’a County and the main activities will be the application of modern farming methods.