Quality Control Measures, Export Environment and Market Growth of Horticultural Products among Farmers Cooperative Societies in Selected Counties in The South Rift, Kenya

Abstract

Adherence to international food quality standards is essential for the growth and competitiveness of horticultural products in the export market. However, smallholder farmers in developing countries, including Kenya, face persistent challenges in meeting quality standards requirements due to weak quality assurance practices, inadequate postharvest handling, poor traceability mechanisms, limited responsiveness to consumerdriven quality preferences, and systemic constraints in the export environment. Despite various reforms, the effectiveness of quality control measures in enhancing market growth remains under-explored, particularly among farmers’ cooperative societies. This study investigated the influence of quality assurance practices, post-harvest handling practices, traceability mechanisms, and consumer-driven quality preferences on the market growth of horticultural products. It also examined the moderating effect of the export environment on these relationships in selected counties of the South Rift region of Kenya. Anchored in a positivist philosophical paradigm, the study adopted an explanatory survey design. It was guided by Garvin’s Eight Dimensions of Product Quality, Actor-Network Theory, and Dynamic Systems Theory to capture both productlevel and systemic determinants of market growth. The target population comprised 1,891 smallholder farmers affiliated with registered farmers’ cooperative societies. A sample size of 367 respondents was determined using Yamane’s formula (1967) at a 95% confidence level and selected through stratified and simple random sampling. Data were collected using structured, pre-tested questionnaires. Reliability was confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha coefficients exceeding 0.80, while content validity was verified with expert reviews, achieving a content validity index above 0.80. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, linear, and multiple regression analysis, with diagnostic tests conducted to confirm assumptions of normality, multicollinearity, and homoscedasticity. The results showed that all four quality control measures variables;quality assurance practices, post-harvest handling, traceability mechanisms, and consumer-driven quality preferences,had positive and statistically significant effects on market growth. Furthermore, the export environment significantly moderated these relationships, demonstrating its role in either amplifying or constraining the market growth of horticultural products among farmers’ cooperative societies. The study contributes theoretically by integrating product-centric and system-level perspectives to develop a comprehensive model of quality-driven market growth in horticultural exports. Practically, it recommends that government agencies and development partners invest in export-oriented extension services, targeted training on export compliance, public-private partnerships for affordable storage and traceability technologies, and infrastructure improvements to support cold chain logistics and transport. The study concludes that quality control measures, when implemented within an enabling export environment, significantly contribute to the market growth of horticultural products among smallholder farmers. These insights offer valuable guidance for theory development, policy formulation, and practice in the agricultural export sector