Determinants of crop and land management practices and effects on production risks under variable climatic conditions in Eastern Uganda.
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Date
2014-08
Authors
Kagorora, Kansiime Monica
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Abstract
This study aimed to establish the effects of various crop and land management
practices in reducing production risks under variable rainfall regimes in Eastern
Uganda. An approach that integrated both rainfall variability and agricultural
production was used, through yield functions. The following specific
objectives were addressed based on knowledge and methodological gaps
identified in literature review: i) establishing the extent and pattern of variation
of annual and seasonal rainfall over a 40-year period, ii) determining factors
that influence farmers' decisions to adopt management practices, iii) evaluating
the effect of farmer-preferred management practices on the mean and variance
of crop production in variable rainfall regimes, and iv) assessing farmers'
perceptions of the effectiveness of the various management practices in
mitigating against rainfall variability-induced production risks. Data for this
study were obtained from 315 households, 9 focus group discussions and 23
key informants drawn from Mbale, Pallisa and Sironko districts. Study results
showed an increasing trend in annual and ASON rainfall, and decreasing trend
for MAMJ rainfall, with ASON exhibiting higher variations than MAMJ.
Farmers employed a number of crop and land management practices
strategically in response to perceive seasonal variations in climatic conditions,
majorly influenced by their perception of rainfall adequacy. Most of the
farmer-preferred management practices showed significant positive mean
impacts on yield but had different risk-reducing effects on yield. Changing
sowing dates and crop varieties, soil bunds, compost manure, cover crops, crop
rotation and intercropping showed significant (p~O.05) risk-reducing effects on
yield. Their effects varied across agro-ecological zone, except soil bunds and
compost manure whose use consistently exhibited both yield-increasing and
risk-reducing effects across all the agro-ecologies. Study results have the
following implications: First, the changing scenario in variability of rainfall
will affect cropping patterns in the study districts thus requiring introduction of
crops or varieties best suited to the patterns such as early maturing crops for
MAMJ and more water tolerant crops for ASON. Second, the effectiveness of
technologies in reducing production risks is location-specific thus the need to
develop and disseminate location specific adaptation approaches, instead of
blanket recommendations of similar adaptation measures across locations.
Lastly, the need to focus not only on the technical aspects of technologies, but
also the social dimensions such as perceptions of smallholder farmers of
technology effectiveness, if adoption and retention of management practices is
to be increased. Development and research organizations promoting adaptation
options should involve farmers in technology evaluation so as to recommend
the most feasible options given farmers' situations and local perceptions.
Description
Department of Agribusiness Management and Trade (AMT), 185p. 2014