Masters of Science in Agriculture and Rural development

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11951/1038

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    Performance of the Single Spine System in Uganda, a Case of Small Holder Crop Farmers in Buhweju District
    (Uganda Christian University, 2024-09-24) Patience Nimushaba
    This study was conducted to assess the performance of the single spine system in Uganda, a case of smallholder crop farmers in Buhweju District. Despite, Uganda’s reformation of her agricultural extension system to a single spine system, access to extension system has declined considerably over the years. Therefore, the study sought to establish the availability and accessibility of agricultural extension services to smallholder crop farmers. The study also intended to determine the adoption levels of agricultural technologies and how it could have been be affected by availability and accessibility of agricultural extension services. The study employed a cross sectional survey design and a sample of 393 crop farming households was selected using multistage sampling. The study employed key Informant Interviews and structured interview guides to collect data. Quantitative data was analysed using STATA version 16 to get descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that whereas extension services are readily available, it is not known to most crop farming households. As such, there is minimal level of accessibility. The Chi-square and Tobit regression model results reveled that, farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics such as household income, labour, group belonging, credit access positively influence the availability and accessibility of extension services which in turn affects adoption levels of agricultural extension services. Therefore, policy makers should encourage collective action among farmers, improve access to credit, provide enough funding to extension service and convince farmers on the importance of agricultural extension services. Farmers need to seek opportunities for continuous learning and skill development.
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    Contribution of Climate Smart Agriculture Practices to Household Food Availability: A Case of Bidibidi Settlement (Zone 1) and Host Community in Romogi Subcounty, Yumbe District
    (Uganda Christian University, 2024-09-13) Nathan Turyayesiima
    This study was set up to investigate the contribution of climate smart agriculture practices to household food availability in Bidibidi settlement, Yumbe district. Following a threat to the environment due to tremendous pressure on the land by nationals in order to extend agricultural activities and South Sudanese refugees in search of settlement, the government of Uganda and NGOs accelerated promotion of climate smart agriculture practices in 2018. However, the impact of these practices on household food availability had not been studied and documented. The study was conducted in Bidibidi settlement-zone1 and Yumbe district host communities and targeted 375 farming households. Data on Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices commonly practiced, drivers that influence farmers to apply these CSA practices as well as Food Consumption Scores (FCS) and frequencies of CSA practices application were collected. Data was analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics were used for CSA practices while CSA uptake drivers and the relationship between CSA practices and household food availability were analyzed using binary logistic regression. The study results indicated that 94.9%, 82.4% and 79.2% of farmers grew climate adapted crop varieties, managed planting dates and did kitchen gardening, respectively. Household income, land ownership, group membership, access to irrigation water, household head/leadership, level of education and access to extension services were some of the significant factors that influence uptake of CSA practices. . Agroforestry technologies, irrigation and kitchen gardening were found to significantly contribute to household food availability. Efforts to ensure that farmers attain land, access extension and have access to irrigation and agroforestry technologies/inputs should be promoted to match these findings.
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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.