Communication Channels in Adoption of Technology with a Focus on the Use of Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) among Small Scale Maize Farmers in Kenya

Abstract

Purdue improved storage is a technology that uses plastic bags to achieve hermetic storage of grains. Although Maize is Kenya’s main staple food, it has been plagued by post-harvest losses with small scale farmers representing the most vulnerable populations. These losses have led to frequent food shortages being experienced in Kenya with most of the available storage pest control strategies being unavailable to farmers due to their cost. Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) technology was introduced in Kenya targeting to cut down maize post-harvest losses by 80 percent without use of pesticides. Adoption process of the PICS technology is therefore paramount and must be supported by having effective flow of information from the manufacturers to the small scale maize farmers. With communication channels being key in information dissemination, there is need for implementers of the PICS technology to ensure that these channels are properly utilized for a successful adoption process.

Keywords: Adoption process, Agricultural technology,   Communication channels, Extension service, PICS technology.