EFFECT OF ZAI PIT AND HALF-MOON TECHNOLOGIES ON HOUSEHOLD INCOME AMONG SMALL-SCALE FARMERS IN KITA CERCLE, MALI AYOUBA COULIBALY A Thesis Submitted to Graduate School in Partial Fulfilment for the Requirements of the Master of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics of Egerton University EGERTON UNIVERSITY JULY, 2018 DECLARATION AND RECOMMENDATION Declaration This thesis is my original work and has not been presented for an award of a degree, diploma or certificate in Egerton University or any other University. Signature……………………………...... Date…………………………………... Ayouba Coulibaly Reg. No. KM15/14396/15 Recommendation This thesis has been submitted for examination with my approval as the Egerton University supervisors. Signature……………………………………… Date………………………………… Prof. Margaret Ngigi, PhD Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management Egerton University Signature…………………………………… Date………………………………… Dr. Oscar Ingasia Ayuya, PhD Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management Egerton University COPYRIGHT ©2018 Ayouba COULIBALY This thesis or any part of it may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means such as electronic, mechanical or photocopying without prior written permission of the author or Egerton University. All rights reserved iii DEDICATION This research work is dedicated to my father Boubacar Bréhima Coulibaly and my mother Aminata Ballo for their full support. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to thank God Almighty for His grace and guidance during the entire period of my study. I am thankful to the staff of Egerton University through the department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Management for the full support since I enrolled for my study. Special appreciations go to my supervisors; Prof. Margaret Ngigi and Dr. Oscar Ingassia Ayuya, who have guide me through the research and in writing thesis. Their availability, guidance and support are highly appreciated. I also take this opportunity to convey my sincere gratitude to the United States Agency for International Development, as part of the Feed the Future initiative, under the CGIAR Fund, award number BFS-G-11-00002, and the predecessor fund the Food Security and Crisis Mitigation II grant, award number EEM-G-00-04-00013. Special appreciation of the relentless efforts to the enumerations who collected data successfully across Kita Cercle. I am grateful to my friends and course mates at the department of AGEC/AGBM Egerton University and my lovely family for sharing with me useful ideas, giving me encouragement during the period of study and research work. v ABSTRACT Rain water harvesting technologies (RWHTs) known as Zai pit and Half-moon have been embraced by small-scale farmers as a solution to climate related shocks. However, little is known on the socio-economic, institutional and technological aspects affecting farmers demand for the technologies as well their effects on farmers’ income. This study was meant to fill this knowledge gap. The general objective was to contribute towards improved food security through enhanced use of Zai pit and Half-moon among small-scale farmers. The specific objectives were to: determine the socio-economic, institutional and technological aspects of small-scale farmers; assess the demand for Zai pit and Half-moon technologies among small-scale farmers; and to determine the effects of Zai pit and Half-moon technologies on small-scale farmers' income. Multistage sampling technique was used to interview 280 small-scale farmers using semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to determine small-scale farmers’ socio-economic and institutional characteristics. Confirmatory Factors Analysis (CFA), Negative Binominal Regression (NBR) and Multinomial Switching Regression (MSR) were used to determine farmers’ perception, demand and the effects of the technologies on their income, respectively. Compared to non-users, the users of Zai pit and Half-moon were younger (49 old years), earning less off-income (333.841.00 FCFA), owning less Tropical Livestock Unit (2 TLU), having more contact with extension services providers (3 time) and had more training. CFA also revealed that users had a higher risk attitude (4.23), higher level of compatibility (4.27), higher perception on ease of use (3.87), higher perception on resources availability (2.03) and higher level of innovativeness (4.39) compared to non-users. The NBR results showed that demand was negatively influenced by the gender status, risk attitude, farm size, soil fertility, off-farm income and production farm assets value. Conversely, demand was positively influenced by the level of education, risk attitude, number of contact of extension service providers, farm size, soil erosion, slope of soil, compatibility, ease of use, innovativeness, usefulness and perception on timeless. The MSR analysis on the average treatment effect indicated that users of Zai pit, Half-moon and Zai-Half-moon earn (42.286 FCFA, 16.073 FCFA and 110.976 FCFA respectively) more income from the main crop and (158.040 FCFA, 45.448 FCFA and 431.714 FCFA) more from the general household income than non- users. To improve Zai pit and Half-moon use, the study recommends policy makers to improve farmers’ access to market, diversification of income, quality information and sensitizing farmers’ perception on technologies. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION AND RECOMMENDATION ........................................................................ ii COPYRIGHT ..................................................................................................................................... iii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................................................ v ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................ vi LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................ ix LIST OF PLATES ............................................................................................................................. x LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ................................................................... xii CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background information .......................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Statement of the problem ......................................................................................................... 4 1.3. Objectives of the study ............................................................................................................. 4 1.3.1. General objective ............................................................................................................... 4 1.3.2. Specific objectives ............................................................................................................. 4 1.4. Research questions ................................................................................................................... 4 1.5. Justification of the study .......................................................................................................... 5 1.6. Scope and limitation of the study ........................................................................................... 5 1.7. Operational definition of terms ............................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................................... 7 LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................ 7 2.1. History of soil and water conservation technologies ........................................................... 7 2.2 Challenges of soil and water conservation technologies ...................................................... 9 2.3 Factors influencing agricultural technologies ...................................................................... 10 2.4. Theoretical and conceptual framework ................................................................................ 13 2.4.1 Theoretical framework ..................................................................................................... 13 2.4.2. Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER THREE ......................................................................................................................... 16 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................... 16 3.1. Study area ...............................................................................................................................