Contribution of Traceability to Horticultural Export Growth: Insights from Small-scale Farmers in South Rift, Kenya

Abstract

Abstract The inclusion of rural smallholder farmers in horticultural exports offers two key benefits: increased household income through global market access and enhanced productivity that contributes to GDP growth and foreign exchange. In South Rift, Kenya, around 2,500 smallholder farmers are engaged in horticultural exports. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between traceability by smallholder farmers and the growth of the horticultural export market. Data were collected from 334 randomly selected small-scale farmers using a structured questionnaire. Validity and reliability were tested, and analysis was done using descriptive statistics and simple linear regression. Traceability was assessed based on system effectiveness, labeling and information sharing, and contract farming. Findings showed that horticultural production is dominated by older male farmers in cooperatives, working on small plots (mostly under one acre), with basic education, mainly growing fruits, and having limited export experience. A significant relationship was found between traceability and export market growth. However, gaps were noted in post-harvest management among farmers. The study recommends adopting modern technologies throughout the supply chain, implementing contract farming within a legal framework, and fostering stakeholder collaborations to reduce costs and improve compliance with market standards and competitiveness in the export of fruits and vegetables.