Faculty of Agricultural Sciences

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Browsing Faculty of Agricultural Sciences by Author "Amina Dugo"

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    Smallholder Farmers’ Adoption and Food Security Contribution of Improved Cassava Varieties: A Case of Nase 14 Cassava Variety in Eastern Uganda
    (Uganda Christian University, 2024-09-12) Amina Dugo
    Cassava is among the three significant food crops in the tropics ranking third to rice and maize. It is consumed by a considerable number of people (approximately one billion) in Africa. In Uganda, it has been a food security crop but recently the cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) struck the zone where it’s mostly grown affecting most of the varieties. NASE 14 is an improved cassava variety tolerant/resistant to the diseases (CMD, CBSD) and is high yielding. Despite all the efforts by government in promoting tolerant varieties, adoption at farmer level is low. The main objective of the study was to establish the factors responsible for adoption of cassava varieties resistant to Cassava brown streak virus disease and its contribution on food security in Eastern Uganda. A Cross section design was used and a random sample of 240 respondents were taken from three districts of Tororo, Butaleja and Bugiri. Data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequencies, means, T-test and multiple logistic regression. The results revealed that Membership to a group (P = 0.046), Land size owned (P=0.002), access to inputs (P<0.0001), credit (P<0.0001) and experience (P<0.001) had a positive and significant influence on the uptake of NASE 14 cassava variety. In relation to gender the coefficient was positive and statistically significant (P = 0.025), implying that the males were more likely to take up NASE 14. Farmers preferences of NASE 14 cassava variety that enhanced adoption included; high yield and ability not to rot. The findings further disclosed that majority (71.1% and 81.9% adopters and non-adopters respectively) of the household reported having food deficits in a certain period of the year with a greater proportion reported among the non-adopters. The T –test showed that there was no significant difference in the contribution of adoption of NASE 14 to food security between the adopters and non-adopters (P=0.245). Conversely, off farm income had a negative and significant influence on the uptake of NASE 14 (P <0.0001) indicating that the likelihood of adopting NASE 14 decreases with increase in the off farm income. It is therefore recommended to give much attention to the socio economic and demographic characteristics as they portray a significant part in influencing adoption of NASE 14.