Socio-Economic and Physical Factors Affecting Mango Performance and Productivity in Makueni County, Kenya

Mango (Mangifera indica) is one of the most popular fruit in many countries and among millions of people in the world. Mango is an emerging tropical fruit produced in over 90 countries worldwide. Mango production stands at 180-200 pieces per tree against a potential of 500 pieces per tree, necessitating a high demand. This study sought to examine the factors influencing mangos’ performance and productivity in the dry lands of Makueni County, Kenya. Across-sectional descriptive research was used and case study of two farms in extreme parts of the county was also deployed. A total of 382 farmers were selected for the study using simple random sampling methods. Purposive sampling was used to get sub-county, ward officers, chiefs, sub-chiefs, elites and village elders for Key Informant Interviews. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean, percentages and modes, regression. Qualitative data was analyzed by creating themes and patterns and then validating the usefulness of the information obtained. The study found that mango was one the major source of livelihoods in Makueni County necessitating increase in acreage under mango cultivation. Findings unearthed, the acreage increased from 46,364 ha to 65,453ha between 2015 and 2021. Overally, mango production and performance were found to be increasing. Introduction of commercial mango varieties which are highly yielding. The varieties which include Tommy Atkins, Kent, Van dyke, Haden and Apple have been widely adopted by farmers and this has led to increase in production levels in Makueni county. Production increased by 29.13% between 2010 and 2021 yearly. However, there were seven major constraints that posed great challenge to the agrarian farmers. Climate change, drought, access to market, land ownership, access to capital, access to technology, pests and diseases and mango species were found to be major constraints affecting mango cultivation. The study found out that the increase in mango productivity and performance was due to majorly an increase in acreage but not really due to good agronomic practices. Therefore, it is recommended that multi agency efforts are highly required to curb the impact of Climate change, drought, access to market by incorporating appropriate post-harvest technologies such as storage, transport of mangoes to ensure production doesn’t decline. Post –harvest behaviors of different cultivars of mango on their shelf life should be explored to improve performance and productivity of mango.