Agricultural input subsidy interventions are designed to make essential inputs, mainly fertilizers and seeds, more affordable and accessible to smallholder farmers, thereby enhancing agricultural productivity and household food security. However, there is currently limited empirical information on the extent to which such subsidies influence smallholder potato production in Kenya. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of fertilizer and seed subsidies on potato yields in Marakwet West Sub-County, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya. A sample of 372 smallholder farmers was selected using stratified random sampling, and data was collected through a structured questionnaire. The Cobb-Douglas production function was applied to analyze the relationship between subsidized inputs and Potato productivity. Findings showed that 58% of the respondents received 537 kg of subsidized fertilizers, while 83.1% received 2,453 kg of subsidized potato seeds during the production season. Farmers who accessed both fertilizer and seed subsidies achieved significantly (IP/I 0.05) higher yields than those who did not benefit from subsidies or received only one input. Regression analysis indicated that the quantity of subsidized fertilizers (β = 0.679) and seeds (β = 0.481) had a strong positive influence on potato yields (R² = 0.714; IP/I 0.01). The study concludes that providing both fertilizer and seed subsidies substantially improves potato yields for smallholder farmers. It is therefore recommended that the relevant stakeholders continue to enhance farmers’ access to these subsidies and prioritize research on developing high-yielding, drought-and disease-resistant potato varieties to further increase production and ensure sustainable food security.
Kibor et al. (Thu,) studied this question.