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Abstract
We employ a non-unitary household model to analyze the main Pigeonpea seed channels in
Kenya. The paper is based on a household survey conducted on 500 randomly selected
households within three counties of Eastern Kenya. The study sites are based on the distance
from the main trading center (county headquarters) which informs agro business infrastructure.
We assess the participation in seed channels with regards to joint plots, women plots and male
plots for Pigeonpeas legumes. More than half of the Pigeonpea plots (53%) in the sample are
managed jointly by men and women; while around 10% are managed entirely by women. There
were very few plots (0.2%) managed by men alone. The main legumes seed sources are own
saved seeds and cereal stockists. There is very limited sourcing from the certified seed channel
(10%), the certified seeds from agrovets were only acquired for the joint plots only. Using a
multinomial logistic regression, we analyze the factors influencing the choice of Pigeonpea seed
channels, encompassing characteristics of the wife of the household head. More educated wives
and wives with high exposure to extension services were more likely to access seed from the
agrovets; these variables were however not significant for the male head. Other significant
determinants were total livestock unit, distance to the source of seed, amount of seed required,
location of the household, and occupation. We conclude that targeting women farmers with
knowledge and capacity building on the advantages of using certified seeds for legumes has the
potential to enhance adoption of legumes in Eastern Kenya.