1.

Inadequate storage facilities – Storage facilities in the rural areas are either totally absent or
grossly inadequate, under such conditions the farmer are compelled to sell their produce
immediately after the harvest at the prevailing market prices which are bound to be low.
2. Poor farming methods and inadequate extension and agricultural education – Most extensions
centers lack manpower and facilities. Therefore farmers do not get enough advice from
extension staff. Majority of the farmers use traditional methods of farming which result into low
yields. Agricultural education has not received enough attention in schools.
3. Poor infrastructure – There is poor means of transport system in Kenya, there is a problem of
moving commodities from farms to markets and taking inputs from markets to farms.
4. Shortage of land – there is shortage of land in both quantity and quality e.g. semi-desert areas
where land is dry and swamps which are difficult to reclaim and also due to increase population
in Kenya more land is used for settlement rather than farming.
5. Shortage of skilled labor – Education in Kenya does not prepare students to work in rural areas.
Instead it encourages the youth to move from rural to urban areas to look for white collar jobs.
Therefore agriculture is left for only children and old people.
6. Shortage of markets – Most people in the rural areas are poor and therefore they do not
provide a potential market for agricultural products. In the world market agricultural products
fetch low prices because high of competition. It is difficult to transport agricultural products to
foreign markets because they are bulky and perishable while there is shortage of transport
facilities. It is also difficult to penetrate high tariff walls imposed by developed countries.