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ItemGender-based determinants of commercial behaviour among primary actors in Pig value chains of Masaka District, Central Uganda(Makerere University, 2024)Gender integration in value chains has increasingly received attention in commercial-oriented agriculture to enable primary actors especially women improve their livelihoods. Nonetheless, gender inequalities in agricultural value chains persist, mostly occurring in the division of labour, access and control of resources-including income derived from sales, and factors affecting men's and women's participation and benefit from commercial activities. This study examined gender-based determinants of commercial behaviour among primary actors of PVCs, by completing three objectives; explore the gendered structure of pig value chains, determine factors influencing commercial behavioural intention, and examine the mediation effect of gender-based factors on commercial behaviour. Positivist research paradigm, Ontology philosophical perspective, and cross-sectional research design was used for this study. Mixed method involving qualitative and quantitative techniques was used for data collection and analysis. Qualitative technique explored the structure of pig value chains, while quantitative technique studied the determinants of commercial behavioural intention and commercial behaviour. Data was collected on randomly selected primary actors 133 gender-segmented primary actors for qualitative data, and 296 respondents for quantitative data. Content analysis method was used for qualitative analysis while Structural Equation Modeling was used for quantitative analysis. Results revealed existence of gender differences in the structure of pig value chains and mediation effect of gender-based factors. Women’s intention to commercialize was positively influenced by outcome belief-that commercializing is “good” and “beneficial”, and was negatively influenced by intra-household relations with their parents, husbands, and in-laws. Contrarily, men’s intention was positively influenced by economic and social benefits derived especially money, leisure time, and friends. Women intended to downsize pig stock as a commercial pathway to avoid drop-out from pig value chains. Resource capabilities which included knowledge, information, payment for labour, and tradeable assets (including pig stock) were important to avoid women from out of commercial behaviour; while men’s commercial behaviour would mostly be sustained by their access to resource opportunities-in form of acquiring land and fame), and increasing their motivation-by meeting their goals in life, paying school fees, and being happy). These findings need urgent attention! Men being counterparts to women-mostly doing pig marketing and pork consumption retailing work; implied that men’s commercial behaviour needs to be sustained. Women being key labour providers in pig value chains, their drop-out would imply that the pig and pork supplies to markets would greatly reduce; consequently future efforts for commercialization of pig value chains would be futile!
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ItemUptake of soil and water conservation practices among smallholder banana farmers in Buikwe District Central Uganda(Makerere University, 2025)Buikwe district experiences variability in rainfall resulting into inadequate soil water for banana production. Much as SWC practices have been promoted by government for use by banana farmers to enhance banana productivity, their uptake levels were predicted to be moderate. The aim of this study was to assess uptake of soil and water conservation (SWC) practices among smallholder banana farmers in Buikwe district. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods using both purposive and a multistage random sampling method in four sub-counties in the district. Data was obtained from sample respondents by using a combination of survey questionnaires alongside with key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Stata version 14 was used to generate both descriptive and inferential statistics. Inferential statistics was analyzed using Poisson regression model, while the qualitative data was analyzed by thematic approach. The majority of banana farmers in the study area (62%) had taken up at least one soil and water conservation (SWC) practice, while 38% had not used any. The results also indicate a clear variation in uptake levels with mulching 37.8%, manure 29.41%, cover crops 17.65%, retention ditches 15.97% and grass strips 9.24%. Uptake is typically limited to one or two practices, suggesting constraints such as labor, knowledge, or resources, and highlighting the need for support to expand their uptake. Access to extension services is key in promoting uptake of SWC practices. Services should expand region-specific, practical training through field demos and workshops, focusing on widely used practices like mulching and manuring, while promoting less common ones like grass strips and ditches. Secure land tenure and higher education levels, with a marginal effect of 0.86 (p < 0.001); 1.46 (p = 0.019) respectively, significantly influence uptake of SWC practices. Secure land rights encourage investment in SWC practices by assuring long-term benefits. Government should prioritize formalizing land ownership through simplified titling and dispute resolution, especially for smallholders. Government should also support adult literacy and provide tailored technical training using simple materials and demonstrations. Research should explore constraints like labor, inputs, or socio-cultural factors to design interventions encouraging broader use.
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ItemEffect of the local seed business model on access to quality cassava planting materials In Adjumani and Koboko Districts, West Nile, Uganda(Makerere University, 2025)Access to quality seed is a cornerstone for agricultural productivity and food security globally, yet smallholder farmers in Uganda continue to rely heavily on uncertified cassava planting materials. This study examined the effects of the Local Seed Business (LSB) model in improving farmers’ accessibility to quality cassava cuttings in Adjumani and Koboko Districts of Uganda, focusing on two LSBs: AMIFA and KFA. The specific objectives were: (i) to analyse the implementation process of the LSB model in enhancing seed access; (ii) to assess farmers’ perceptions of LSBs as a pathway to obtaining quality cassava planting materials; and (iii) to determine factors influencing farmers’ access to cassava seed through LSBs. A mixed-method sequential design was employed, combining qualitative approaches (focus group discussions and key informant interviews) with quantitative surveys administered to 143 respondents. The study found that although LSBs had improved local supply by offering cassava planting materials closer to farmers, their broader impact on consistent and sustainable access to quality cassava planting materials was undermined by weak governance, irregular inspections, poor business orientation, and limited strategic linkages. Only 12.5% of farmers reported regular participation in LSB meetings, while many expressed dissatisfaction with timeliness cassava planting material delivery, communication of seed availability and quality, and supply volumes of cassava cuttings. Farmers’ perceptions on the effectiveness of LSBs in enhancing access to quality cassava planting materials, particularly among buyers (both LSB members and non-member buyers), reflected both benefits such as timely and proximate supply, and challenges, such as limited volumes, poor communication, and irregular availability. The logistic regression analysis revealed that access to market information (β = 7.989, p ≤ 0.001), availability of credit services (β = 1.927, p ≤ 0.01), proximity to LSBs (β = 1.741, p ≤ 0.05), and willingness to replace seed (β = 1.522, p ≤ 0.05) as significant predictors of farmers’ access to quality cassava cuttings through the LSBs. The study concludes that while LSBs play a vital role in bridging the gap between informal and formal cassava seed systems, their current operational and organizational limitations restrict their effectiveness. It recommends strengthening governance structures for LSBs, enhancing their planning and business management capacity, improving market linkages through partnerships with agro-input dealers and extension services, and expanding access to credit and timely information for farmers. Addressing these gaps will enable LSBs to scale up their effectiveness in ensuring the availability, affordability, suitability, and timeliness of cassava seed supply for smallholder farmers, thereby contributing to food security and sustainable agricultural transformation in West Nile, Uganda.
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ItemSurvey data on adoption, complementarity and productivity effects of modern maize inputs: evidence from Uganda( 2025)This study relies on secondary data obtained from the end line survey implemented under the World Bank–funded Agriculture Cluster Development Project (ACDP) e-voucher input program during the 2021/2022 agricultural season. The project design covered twelve geographical clusters comprising 57 districts which were supported for improved inputs to intensify production and productivity of five priority commodities and that is; maize, rice, beans, cassava and coffee. Household interviews were conducted using structured questionnaires. File type: Stata files. Software to access the data: Stata Software.
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ItemPre-and post-flowering drought resistance and recovery strategies of sorghum(Makerere University, 2025)With ongoing climate change, characterized by increasing frequency and intensity of droughts, developing drought-adaptable crops has become a critical focus in recent decades. Sorghum, a key crop for addressing food and nutritional insecurity, is particularly vulnerable to both pre- and post-flowering drought under rain-fed farming systems. Effective screening and phenotyping techniques are essential for breeding drought-resilient sorghum varieties. This study aimed to generate knowledge for the selection of drought-adaptable sorghum genotypes for targeted use in drought resilience breeding. Specifically, it sought to (i) determine the response of sorghum genotypes to pre- and post-flowering drought stress and (ii) determine the response of selected genotypes to rewatering after drought. In the screen house, eighty sorghum genotypes from the national sorghum breeding program were assessed under different moisture regimes. The moisture regimes included: well-watered, pre-flowering drought and post-flowering drought, arranged as a split-plot design with watering regimes as whole plots, while sorghum genotypes as subplots, with three replications. Subsequently, a field trial arranged as a 10 x 8 alpha-lattice with three replications was established at Nabuin-ZaRDI-Karamoja to assess the effect of natural drought on the entire sorghum trial population. A subsequent screenhouse experiment assessed the drought recovery potential of sixteen selected genotypes and two checks, subjecting them to drought stress followed by rewatering. Results showed that pre-flowering drought was more detrimental, reducing yield by 98%, compared to a 76% yield reduction due to post-flowering drought. Key traits for pre-flowering drought resistance included higher chlorophyll content, larger green leaf area, reduced biomass yield and a higher survival ability. In contrast, plant height, low relative growth, reduced leaf inclination angle, flag leaf dimensions and genotype’s good agronomic robustness (plant vigour and agronomic score) were associated with post-flowering drought resistance. Leveraging drought selection indices and survival probabilities, genotypes were ranked by resistance. Genotypes ASARECA 13-1 x Framida -1-1-3-1/2022B, ICSX 162719-1-4-1-1-1, ICSX152666-B-2-7-3-1-1-1, SSGA/RAP/349 and IESV16 143-1-3-1 exhibited superior resistance to both pre- and post-flowering drought. Strong recovery abilities along with high breeding values were observed in genotypes ASARECA 13-1 x Framida -1-1-3-1/2022B, NAROSORGH1 x NAROSORGH3-1-1-5-1/2022B, ASARECA 13-1 x NAROSORGH3-1-1-1-1/2022B, GE16/2/20B x IESV92041SH (SSEA 18B#6) and NAROSORGH1 x NAROSORGH3 -1-1-1-1/2022B, whereas IESV 214006DL and ICSX152005-SB-5-3-2-1 were highly susceptible and showed the poorest recovery. Notably, genotypes ASARECA 13-1 x Framida -1-1-3-1/2022B, ASARECA 13-1 x NAROSORGH3-1-1-1-1/22B and ICSX152666-B-2-7-3-1-1-1 combined both strong resistance and robust recovery, making them promising parental lines for breeding drought-adaptable sorghum, while the most susceptible genotypes may serve as local negative checks.