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Abstract
Agricultural commercialization has a potential to increase farming households’ income and
standard of living. This study assessed the degree of rice commercialization and the
determinants of commercialization of rice farmers in Ahero Irrigation Scheme, Kenya.
Stratified and probability proportionate to size sampling were used to select 221 rice farmers.
A Household Commercialization Index (HCI) was computed to estimate the degree of
commercialization and then modeled as a function of explanatory variables. Informed by the
Chow test, three regressions were estimated; male, female and the whole sample. The HCI
were 0.77, 0.79 and 0.78 for male, female and whole sample respectively. Household size,
off-farm income generating activities, household income, rice price and pesticides usage were
significant determinants of rice commercialization. The recommended policy options are to
advice and train farmers on pesticides use and the government to have a planned exit from
agriculture by introducing attractive off-farm income generating activities.