19 research outputs found
Determinants of access to trainings on post – harvest loss management among maize farmers in Uganda: a binary logistic regression approach
No full textPost-harvest losses (PHL) reported in maize production put Sub-Saharan African countries at higher risks of food insecurity. Recent studies reported that higher percentage of PHLs occur during the production stage when farmers are in full control of the crop, suggesting that farmers are not equipped with PHL management skills. This study therefore aimed at assessing the determinants of access to trainings on PHL management among maize farmers in Uganda. Primary data were drawn from 246 randomly sampled farmers in Alebtong District followed by Binary logit analysis. The results depicted that majority of the farmers (58%) did not have access to PHL management trainings. However, those who had access sourced it from extension workers (40.65%), farmers’ groups (22.76%) and farmer-to-farmer trainings (12.20%). The main barriers limiting access to the trainings were unawareness of the PHL trainings and inaccessibility of the training centers. Farm size, group membership, maize output and marital status had positive effect on farmers’ access to PHL management trainings while farm location, and distance to the training centers had a negative effect on access to PHL management trainings. Based on the findings, there is need for public sensitization on the benefits of the PHL trainings, farmers should also be motivated to join farmer-based groups and association where they would learn more about the PHL trainings. In addition, the government should open more training centers and employ more training agents so that many farmers can be reached and trained on how to handle and mitigate PHLs in maize
Determinants of Maize Production Income in Western Uganda
No full textMany smallholder farmers produce maize for both consumption and income purposes. Despite the role played by maize, its income production is low, especially in developing countries. In order to formulate policies targeting maize productivity, it was necessary to have knowledge of the determinants of maize production income. As such, this study aimed at determining the level of income and its determinants from maize farmers. Consequently, data was collected from 220 maize farmers using structured questionnaires. The ordinary least squares model was used to determine the determinants. The results showed that the farmers earned a mean of 372,207 Ugandan shillings (105.18 USD) from maize production. Accordingly, farm size, access to credit and household size had a significant positive influence on income from maize production, while gender (female) of the household heads had a significant negative relationship with income from maize production. It is based on these results that this study recommended that the government should offer training programs targeting female-headed households. These trainings should incorporate farm production as well as marketing. Additionally, farmers should be encouraged to access various sources of agricultural credit including financial institutions that offer agricultural loans at low-interest rates
Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices and Small-scale Farmers’ Income: The Case of Maize Farmers in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya
No full textClimate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is one of the resolutions that addresses the issues of climate change adaptation, mitigation and income of farmers. This study evaluated the adoption of CSA practices and the income of small-scale farmers in Trans-Nzoia County. A well-developed questionnaire was used to collect data. Multiple regression and descriptive statistics were applied to analyse the data collected from 119 randomly selected sample households. Findings revealed that the practices were at great extent, averagely, fairly, and poorly adopted by the farmers. Adoption of practices including water conservation structures, water harvesting, minimum tillage, integrated soil fertility management, agroforestry, drought tolerant crop varieties, timely planting, use of organic fertilizers, crop rotation, early maturing varieties and practice of irrigation were significant at 5% level of significance influence the income of small-scale farmers. This study therefore recommends that continuous promotion of climate-smart agriculture practices is important to increase farmers’ productivity and therefore income increase. Strategies should be developed so that farmers’ level of adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices increases so as to boost productivity and therefore increase the income of the farmers. Training farmers on the benefits of adoption of CSA practices while also subsidizing farm inputs like agro-chemicals and fertilizers can boost the adoption rate of CSA practices, resulting in high farm income
Analysis of technical efficiency and its determinants among tobacco producers in Uganda: An application of data envelopment analysis
No full textThis study aimed at analyzing technical efficiency and its determinants among tobacco producers in Uganda. To achieve this, primary data were drawn from 200 tobacco farmers using semi-structured questionnaires. In order to determine the technical efficiency and its determinants, Data envelopment analysis and Tobit regression model were used for the analysis respectively. From the results, we observed that the mean TE was 49%, implying that the farmers were 51% inefficient. Furthermore, input prices, land size, farmers' age, farm income and farm location were found to be the determinants of technical efficiency. This study recommended that the government should subsidize farm inputs as well as training the farmers on input combinations in order to increase technical efficiency level
Effects of Crop-Livestock Diversification on Household Food Security in Homabay County, Kenya
No full textFood is the most basic need according to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Thus, food insecurity has been a global concern, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Many organisations have recommended intensive investment in agriculture as a way of boosting food production to reduce the rising levels of food insecurity in SSA nations. This work reviewed the types of crops and livestock that can do well in Homabay county, as well as the effect of crop-livestock diversification on household food security. The study used peer-reviewed literature published in English from literature sources such as Scopus, Web of Science, Research Gate, among others. Data from the selected articles were extracted and analysed to assess the types of crops and livestock in Homabay as well as the effects of crop-livestock diversification on household food security. The study used Microsoft Excel to list the studies based on the topic, publication date, authors, year of publication and key results. The findings showed that food crops such as maize, beans, cassava, cowpeas, sweet potatoes, millet, and sorghum can do well in Homabay County. In addition, cash crops like tomatoes, vegetables, and cotton can also perform well due to the fertile soils and good climate in Homabay County. The findings also showed that crop-livestock diversification boosts household food security by producing more household foods, increasing farmers’ purchasing power for additional foods that are not produced by the farmers, reducing farm risks, nutrient gaps, and overreliance on food imports. The study recommended that farmers should incorporate many crop types and livestock species in their farms. The government can also support farmers through diversification trainin
Gender disparities in agricultural extension among smallholders in Western Uganda
No full textIn this study, we aimed to assess gender disparities in access to agricultural extension services and the determinants of access to extension among male and female-headed households in Western Uganda. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to extract primary data from 200 farmers using a semi-structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Binary Logit model. Our findings revealed that majority of the male-headed households had access to extension compared to their female-headed household counterparts. This was also evident in the sources of agricultural extension. The socio-demographic characteristics of farmers also indicated that male-headed households were better off in many areas, for example, male-headed households boasted 498.83 kg/ha maize productivity, while households headed by females produced 405.36 kg/ha, indicating a 94 kg/ha yield gap. Similarly, adoption of agricultural practices was high among the male-headed households than their fellow female-headed counterparts. Finally, the estimates from the Binary Logit revealed that male-headed households' access to extension was influenced by age, education, farm size, crop diversity, and group membership. The predictor variables that significantly influenced female-headed households' access to extension include age, education, experience, household size, farm size, distance to extension, crop diversity, non-farm income, and credit access. The study concluded that there are gender disparities in agricultural extension as evident in the access to, sources and determinants of access to agricultural extension. To bridge the gender gap, the study advocates for more training and extension services to female-headed households regarding access to and sources of extension services. Extension service provision is one of the pillars of agricultural productivity among the smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The role of agricultural extension services involves linking farmers and the governments. Through extension services, smallholder farmers are able to acquire modern agricultural techniques that increases farm productivity. With increased farm productivity, farmers are able to come out of the catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Female headed households normally report less productivity of major crops, leading to food insecurity amongst them. This research work contributes to the global discussions on access to extension among the male and female headed households. The study presents results on the state of access to agricultural extension services as well as the determinants of access to extension among the male and female headed households. Our findings and recommendations can be adopted by relevant authorities to increase access to extension, leading to higher crop productivity among female headed households. In the long run, there will be a decline in food insecurity as a result of the increased crop productivity among the female headed households
Determinants of adoption of integrated soil fertility management practices among coffee producers in Mid-Northern Uganda
No full textCoffee accounts for over 40% of total Ugandan exports. Coffee subsector created employment opportunities thus improved living standards of farmers. Despite significant role played by coffee, its production in Uganda is generally low, attributed to infertile and highly weathered soils in different parts of the country. To increase soil fertility, smallholder farmers are encouraged to adopt integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) practices. Notably, previous studies shown low adoption intensity of ISFM practices. The study, therefore, aimed to determine adoption intensity and factors affecting adoption intensity of ISFM practices in new coffee-growing regions of Mid-Northern Uganda. Data were collected from 202 farmers in Oyam and Nwoya districts, using semi-structured questionnaires. Adoption index (AI) and Tobit regression model were used to determine adoption intensity of ISFM practices and their determinants, respectively. Results show that adoption intensity of ISFM practices was 0.52. Results from Tobit model showed that farm size, access to agricultural insurance, input support, formal employment had positive and significant effect on adoption intensity, whereas household size had inverse and significant effect on adoption intensity. Our study recommends that farmers be trained on ways of accessing credit, agricultural insurance, while government should subsidize farm inputs for timely acquisition by coffee farmers
Understanding gender differences in maize productivity among smallholders in central Uganda: a total factor productivity approach
No full textAbstract Despite women’s dominance in maize production in Uganda, there have been reported cases of food insecurity among the female-headed households. In this study, we assessed gender disparities in maize productivity and the determinants of maize productivity among the male and female-headed households using cross-sectional data collected from 396 farmers in central Uganda. Data analysis was done using Total Factor Productivity and Tobit regression model. The findings suggested that female-headed households were 24.26% less productive than their fellow male-headed counterparts. The results from econometric analysis showed that education, farm size, input access, non-farm income and access to market information had positive and significant effect of maize productivity while household size, market distance and group membership had negative significant effects on maize productivity among the female-headed households. On the other hand, age, input access, sub-county and road access had positive influence on maize productivity while household size had a negative effect on maize productivity among the male-headed households. From the results, the study concluded that there is gender disparity among the male and female-headed households. The findings suggest that subsidizing farm inputs to smallholder farmers while training them through extension services could help to bridge gender gaps in maize productivity among the female-headed households
Assessing the determinants of saving behaviour: evidence from rural farming households in Central Uganda
No full textAbstract Savings play a significant role in any country’s economic development. Notably, because farmers tend to have seasonal income from their farming activities, they also tend to be highly vulnerable to poor saving habbit than other occupations, such as those in formal jobs. However, farmers who save part of their income for subsequent production can purchase farm inputs in time as they wait for the onset of rain. Reportedly, there has been poor saving behavior among farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study aims to determine the factors responsible for farmers’ saving behavior. Descriptive and econometric (binary logistic model) analyses were employed to achieve the objectives of the study. The results indicate that the majority of farmers saved on a monthly and weekly basis. The results of the binary logistic regression model analysis showed that age, marital status, gender, experience, group membership, distance to the markets and markets, farm income, and farmers’ sub-counties of residence had a significant influence on farmers’ saving behavior. From the results, policy measures to increase the rate of savings include the employment of more extension personnel to reach as many farmers as possible. Government and extension agents should target female and less experienced farmers through adult-based education programs because they are vulnerable to poor saving behavior. Farmers should join farmer—based groups and cooperative societies, in which saving information is disseminated. The government, non-governmental organizations and financial institutions should offer financial literacy training on savings to smallholder farmers
Determinants of adoption of sustainable agricultural practices among maize producers in Northern Uganda
No full textSustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) increase crop productivity. This is achieved by increasing soil fertility, preserving moisture in the soil, and reducing pest and disease build-up, among other significant roles. Strikingly, maize farmers are still deeply rooted into the traditional methods of production which do not consider the adoption of SAPs. As such, they report low maize yields. Similarly, despite government efforts to increase the adoption rate, farmers remain reluctant to adopt SAPs. Therefore, this study aims to determine the adoption intensity of SAPs and its determinants using data collected from 101 randomly selected farmers in Northern Uganda. The adoption index (AI) and Tobit model approaches were used to determine the adoption intensity and its determinants, respectively. Based on the results, adoption intensity stood at 70%, while the determinants of adoption of the selected SAPs were education level (P < 0.05), household size (P < 0.05), farm size (P < 0.01), ICT use (P < 0.05), access to market information (P < 0.01), extension visits (P < 0.05), and credit access (P < 0.10). The study recommended that smallholder farmers’ use of ICT in accessing information on the adoption of SAPs among other agricultural information, strengthening adult literacy programs, increasing extension visits, and encouraging farmers to access credit from low interest rates financial institutions would help in increasing the level of adoption of SAPs
