Effect of good agricultural practices on Irish potato production: Acase study of Jyambere Muhinzi Kinoni Cooperative in Burera District in Rwanda

Desire Mugisha, Jean D’Amour Manirere, Eularie Mutamuliza & Bonaventure Ufitinema

Abstract
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is known for its efficiency in converting resources into high-quality food, which can aid in poverty reduction. However, the potato yield in Rwanda has been declining, leading to farmer dissatisfaction with trading terms and a reliance on low prices in the value chain. Moreover, the use of good agricultural practices (GAPs) has not been adopted wholly, and their contribution to yield has still not been established. Correspondingly, the driving force in the adoption scenario of GAPs and the effects of adoption have remained unclear. This study therefor aimed to examine the effect of the adoption of GAPs on Irish potato production in Jyambere Muhinzi Kinoni cooperative, Burera district. Primary data were collected from 87 respondents randomly selected in the Nkumba, Gafuka, Ntaruka and Nkenke cells of Kinoni sector in Burera district using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the respondents’ socio-economic characteristics, while a logit model analysed factors influencing farmers’ adoption of GAPs. The effects of GAPs adoption on potato production were assessed using propensity score matching (PSM), while the relationships between farmers’ annual income and GAPs adoption were assessed using linear regression models. The findings indicate that a significant portion of respondents (64 out of 87) had accessed extension services, with a majority (60.9%) being cooperative members. PSM analysis revealed that GAPs adopters experienced an increase in yield of 917.56 kilograms and 5 600 kilograms more than non-adopters, using the kernel-based matching and nearest neighbour matching methods, respectively. A strong positive relationship was also identified by linear regression analysis between farmers’ annual income and GAP adoption. The study emphasises the importance of providing extension services and training programmes to farmers on various aspects of GAPs, including compost and chemical fertiliser usage, farm labour management, record-keeping, and land size measurement. Such initiatives could enhance farmers’ knowledge and skills, ultimately improving potato productivity in the region.