Production by smallholders in rural Kenya is limited by institutional, technical and investment constraints. Female farmers are the majority among smallholders and have significant roles in agriculture; nonetheless, they face constraints in accessing resources. Recent primary data of 347 farmers (proportional random sampling) was used to examine: (a) factors affecting women’s participation in agriculture; (b) factors influencing female farmers’ decision to join a farmer group; and (c) the effect of women’s membership in a farmer group on crop yield. We applied Probit and linear regression with endogenous treatment maximum likelihood methods. Results reveal that women’s participation is positively influenced by membership in a farmer group and land ownership. Women’s decision to join a farmer group is positively affected by access to credit, and negatively by limited decision-making power and lack of access to land. Crop yield is positively affected by membership years in a farmer group and ownership of mobile phones, negatively by lack of credit. Farmer groups are a particularly effective platform to improve crop yields and other constraints confronting female farmers. Surprisingly, this platform is under-utilised. Policymakers should invest in human, financial and physical capital of farmer groups as a pathway to rural development, improved rural livelihoods and reduced poverty.

中文翻译：

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农民团体是否改善了肯尼亚农村妇女在农业中的状况？

肯尼亚农村小农的生产受到体制、技术和投资方面的限制。女性农民在小农中占多数，在农业中发挥着重要作用；然而，他们在获取资源方面面临限制。最近 347 名农民的原始数据（按比例随机抽样）用于检查：(a) 影响妇女参与农业的因素；(b) 影响女性农民决定加入农民团体的因素；(c) 妇女加入农民团体对作物产量的影响。我们将 Probit 和线性回归与内源性治疗最大似然方法一起应用。结果表明，妇女的参与受到农民团体成员身份和土地所有权的积极影响。妇女加入农民团体的决定受到获得信贷的积极影响，并且由于决策权有限和无法获得土地而产生负面影响。作物产量受到农民团体成员年限和手机所有权的积极影响，而缺乏信贷则产生消极影响。农民团体是一个特别有效的平台，可以提高女性农民面临的作物产量和其他限制因素。令人惊讶的是，该平台并未得到充分利用。政策制定者应投资于农民群体的人力、财力和物质资本，以此作为实现农村发展、改善农村生计和减少贫困​​的途径。农民团体是一个特别有效的平台，可以提高女性农民面临的作物产量和其他限制因素。令人惊讶的是，该平台并未得到充分利用。政策制定者应投资于农民群体的人力、财力和物质资本，以此作为实现农村发展、改善农村生计和减少贫困​​的途径。农民团体是一个特别有效的平台，可以提高女性农民面临的作物产量和其他限制因素。令人惊讶的是，该平台并未得到充分利用。政策制定者应投资于农民群体的人力、财力和物质资本，以此作为实现农村发展、改善农村生计和减少贫困​​的途径。