Navigating Crop Choice Dilemmas between Coffee and Avocado Farming among Smallholder Farmers in Murang’a County, Kenya

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James Kariuki

Abstrakt
This study explores the evolving crop preferences of smallholder farmers in Murang’a County in Kenya, who transitioned from coffee farming to avocado cultivation largely due to prolonged poor prices of coffee. Avocado farming, though initially was very promising, has encountered significant challenges including exploitation of farmers by brokers, price volatility and little support by cooperatives. With the recent surge in global coffee prices, smallholder farmers face uncertainty about whether to continue with avocados or to revert to coffee. The general objective of this study was to explore farmers’ perceptions on which direction they should take in the choice between coffee and avocados cultivation. Based on data collected from 116 smallholder farmers in Murang’a County, the researcher examined factors that influenced choice between the two crops. The paper was guided by the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) and the Rational Choice Theory (RTC). The study found that crop profitability had a strong influence on farmers’ crop choice decisions. Profitability drove the initial shift from coffee to avocados and shaped the current reconsideration of coffee farming following the recent global price increases. Market price volatility increased uncertainty instead of guiding clear crop choices, leading farmers to favour diversification over full commitment to either coffee or avocados. Institutional support and access to farming inputs affected farmers’ willingness to return to coffee. Weak cooperatives and limited extension services discouraged a complete return to coffee despite the recent improved prices. The study concluded that farmers’ crop choice decisions in Murang’a County were shaped by a complex interaction of economic incentives and institutional conditions than by price alone. The study recommends strengthening cooperative support, supporting and encouraging crop diversification, improving access to farming inputs and providing market guidance to help smallholder farmers make informed and sustainable crop choices.

Article Details

Jak cytować
Kariuki, J. (2026). Navigating Crop Choice Dilemmas between Coffee and Avocado Farming among Smallholder Farmers in Murang’a County, Kenya. Zeszyty Naukowe SGGW W Warszawie - Problemy Rolnictwa Światowego, 26(2), 4–23. https://doi.org/10.22630/PRS.2026.26.2.5
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