The effect of climate change adaptation strategies on bean yield in central and northern Uganda

This paper analyses the impact of adaptation to climate change on bean productivity on a micro-scale using instrumental variable techniques in a two-stage econometric model, using data collected from farming households in northern and central Uganda. We employed the bivariate probit technique to model simultaneous and interdependent adoption decisions, and the ordered probit to model the intensity of adaptation. We modelled the impact of adaptation using instrumental variables and the control function approach because of the potential endogeneity of the adaptation decision. The driving forces behind adoption of the two selected adaptation strategies were heterogeneous. Location-specific factors influenced the intensity of adaptation between the two study regions. The effect of adaptation was stronger for households that used a higher number of strategies, evidence that the two adaptation strategies need to be used simultaneously by farmers to maximise the positive impact of adaptation

Health and Environmental Benefits of Reduced Pesticide Use in Uganda: An Experimental Economics Analysis

Two experimental procedures were employed to value both health and environmental benefits from reducing pesticide use in Uganda. The first experiment, an incentive compatible auction involved subjects with incomplete information placing bids to avoid consuming potentially contaminated groundnuts/water in a framed field experimental procedure. Three experimental treatments (information, proxy good, and group treatments) were used. Subjects were endowed with a monetary amount (starting capital) equivalent to half the country’s per capita daily income (in small denominations). Two hundred and fifty seven respondents were involved in a total of 35 experimental sessions in Kampala and Iganga districts. The Kampala sample consisted of urban (professional) residents while the Iganga sample consisted of rural (groundnut farmer) residents. Analyses with Tobit models indicated that subjects are willing to pay significant amounts to avoid ill health outcomes, although these values vary by region, by treatment and by socio-economic characteristics. Gender differences were important in explaining bid behavior, with male respondents in both study areas bidding higher to avoid ill health outcomes than females. Consistent with a priori expectation, rural population’s average willingness to pay to avoid ill health outcomes was lower (by 11.4 percent) than the urban population’s willingness to pay perhaps reflecting the poverty level/low incomes in the rural areas and how it translates into reduced regard for health and environmental improvements. Salaried respondents in Kampala were willing to pay more than those on hourly wages. Tests of hypotheses suggested: (i) providing brief information to subjects just prior to the valuation exercise does not influence bid behavior, (ii) subjects are indifferent to the source of contamination: willingness to pay to avoid health outcomes from potentially contaminated water versus groundnuts are not significantly different, and (iii) the classical tendency to free-ride in public goods provision was observed in both urban and rural areas, and this phenomenon was more pronounced in the urban than the rural area. The second experimental procedure, choice experiments, involved 132 urban respondents making repeated choices from a set of scenarios described by attributes of water quality, an environmental good. Water quality was represented by profiles of water safety levels at varying costs. Analysis using a conditional (fixed effects) logit model showed that urban subjects highly discount unsafe drinking water, and were willing to pay less for safe agricultural water, a result not unexpected considering that the urban population is not directly involved in agricultural activities and thus may not value agricultural water quality as much as drinking water quality. It was also found that subjects’ utility increased with the cost of a water sample (inconsistent with a downward sloping demand curve), suggesting perhaps that they perceived higher cost water to be associated with higher quality water. Advertisements for bottled water in Uganda would have consumers believe that higher cost bottled water is higher quality.Experimental auctions, Choice experiments, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Health Economics and Policy,

A Limited Dependent Variable Analysis of Integrated Pest Management Adoption in Uganda

In Uganda overall crop loss due to pests exceeds that caused by drought, soil infertility, or poor planting material. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) technologies can reduce pest damage to crops by emphasizing non-chemical control methods thereby reducing potential negative effects of chemicals on the environment while preserving profitability. This study investigates the adoption of eight IPM practices including intercropping, crop rotation, two improved varieties, incorporating an 'exotic weed chaser', optimal planting dates, optimal planting density and fertilizer use. Variables include market forces, social factors, management factors, and technology delivery mechanisms. Results were consistent across the multivariate logit and ordered logit analyses. The single most important category of influential factors across all crops and technologies is economic/market forces, including labor availability, technology resource requirements, technology complexity, and the level of expected benefits. Social factors are generally less associated with IPM technology adoption than either market or institutional factors. Management factors are not important for adoption of the IPM technologies evaluated for the cowpea crop, while with groundnut IPM practices, no social or institutional factors are found to be important. High expected/potential benefits from the groundnut IPM technologies increase the probability of their adoption, as does the availability of off-farm income and farmers' membership in farm organizations. Generally high levels of adoption (>75%) were observed with crop rotation, and improved varieties. Other technologies registered low levels of adoption (<25%), the least popular being the application of fertilizer on sorghum fields.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Health and Environmental Benefits of Reduced Pesticide Use in Uganda: An Experimental Economics Analysis

Two experimental procedures were employed to value both health and environmental benefits from reducing pesticide use in Uganda. The first experiment, an incentive compatible auction involved subjects with incomplete information placing bids to avoid consuming potentially contaminated groundnuts/water in a framed field experimental procedure. Three experimental treatments (information, proxy good, and group treatments) were used. Subjects were endowed with a monetary amount (starting capital) equivalent to half the country’s per capita daily income (in small denominations). Two hundred and fifty seven respondents were involved in a total of 35 experimental sessions in Kampala and Iganga districts. The Kampala sample consisted of urban (professional) residents while the Iganga sample consisted of rural (groundnut farmer) residents. Analyses with Tobit models indicated that subjects are willing to pay significant amounts to avoid ill health outcomes, although these values vary by region, by treatment and by socio-economic characteristics. Gender differences were important in explaining bid behavior, with male respondents in both study areas bidding higher to avoid ill health outcomes than females. Consistent with a priori expectation, rural population’s average willingness to pay to avoid ill health outcomes was lower (by 11.4 percent) than the urban population’s willingness to pay perhaps reflecting the poverty level/low incomes in the rural areas and how it translates into reduced regard for health and environmental improvements. Salaried respondents in Kampala were willing to pay more than those on hourly wages. Tests of hypotheses suggested: (i) providing brief information to subjects just prior to the valuation exercise does not influence bid behavior, (ii) subjects are indifferent to the source of contamination: willingness to pay to avoid health outcomes from potentially contaminated water versus groundnuts are not significantly different, and (iii) the classical tendency to free-ride in public goods provision was observed in both urban and rural areas, and this phenomenon was more pronounced in the urban than the rural area. The second experimental procedure, choice experiments, involved 132 urban respondents making repeated choices from a set of scenarios described by attributes of water quality, an environmental good. Water quality was represented by profiles of water safety levels at varying costs. Analysis using a conditional (fixed effects) logit model showed that urban subjects highly discount unsafe drinking water, and were willing to pay less for safe agricultural water, a result not unexpected considering that the urban population is not directly involved in agricultural activities and thus may not value agricultural water quality as much as drinking water quality. It was also found that subjects’ utility increased with the cost of a water sample (inconsistent with a downward sloping demand curve), suggesting perhaps that they perceived higher cost water to be associated with higher quality water. Advertisements for bottled water in Uganda would have consumers believe that higher cost bottled water is higher quality

Determinants for Adoption of ICT-Based Market Information Services by Smallholder Farmers and Traders in Mayuge District, Uganda

Market access is increasingly relying on ICTs that are adopted haphazardly yet less is known about available ICTs; technology, potential users, and characteristics of both entities hence the study assessed adoption of ICTs in market services by smallholders determining; components, factors influencing adoption, choice of combinations and 150 farmers and 50 traders were interviewed randomly. Majority of respondents had knowledge of ICT groups but only 22% had membership despite 80% agreeing that ICTs benefit agriculture. Radio and mobile phone were most used and poverty, poor power/network coverage limited ICT use whereas experience, family size and land farmed influenced adoption

Gender Impacts on Adoption of New Technologies: Evidence from Uganda

This paper examines the effects of gender on the adoption of new technologies of peanut production in Eastern Uganda. The findings suggest that females adopt improved varieties at a lower rate compared to males. In addition, females in female-headed households are less likely to adopt

Determinants for Adoption of ICT-based MIS by Smallholder Farmers and Traders in Mayuge District, Uganda

Market access is increasingly relying on ICTs like telephony, internet and radios that are only adopted at a slow pace and haphazardly. Despite the need for ICTs in Market Information Services (MIS), ICT adoption and usage in Africa is very low. Little is known about available ICTs for use in MIS including; technology, its potential users, and characteristics of both entities. Closing such knowledge gaps is justified. The study assessed adoption of ICT-based MIS by smallholder farmers and traders in Mayuge, specifically determining; ICT components used, factors influencing; adoption of ICT-based MIS and choice of ICT component used. Stratified random sampling was used to collect data with structured questionnaires administered to 150 farmers and 50 traders and analysed using SPSS and STATA. Majority of adopters were males. Fifty four percent of respondents had knowledge of existence of ICT groups but only 22% had membership despite 80% agreeing that ICTs benefit agriculture. Average experience in using ICTs was 3.16 years and 55% of respondents were of primary education. The radio was the most used old ICT whereas the mobile phone was most used new ICT and mostly for calls. Expensive handsets, poverty, poor power supply, lack of expertise and poor network coverage limited ICT use. Logit model results showed that farmers with knowledge of existence of ICT groups and those who thought that ICTs benefited agriculture were more likely adopters. Family size and land farmed previous season significantly influenced farmers’ adoption, whereas age, trading experience, family size and monthly expenses on ICTs influenced traders’ adoption. Family size significantly and positively influenced adoption for both small-scale farmers and traders. Households that majorly used ICTs for making profit were more likely to use the mobile phone, whereas those who stayed further from towns were less likely to use it. If government dedicates her support to public education, rural ICT-based initiatives like BROSDI, rural electrification and rural income generating initiatives, households could adopt ICTs for MIS more. Further research need to be done to determine the impact of ICTs on agricultural productivity, and welfare of smallholders in Uganda

Determinants for Adoption of ICT-Based Market Information Services by Smallholder Farmers and Traders in Mayuge District, Uganda

Market access is increasingly relying on ICTs that are adopted haphazardly yet less is known about available ICTs; technology, potential users, and characteristics of both entities hence the study assessed adoption of ICTs in market services by smallholders determining; components, factors influencing adoption, choice of combinations and 150 farmers and 50 traders were interviewed randomly. Majority of respondents had knowledge of ICT groups but only 22% had membership despite 80% agreeing that ICTs benefit agriculture. Radio and mobile phone were most used and poverty, poor power/network coverage limited ICT use whereas experience, family size and land farmed influenced adoption

Determinants for Adoption of ICT-Based Market Information Services by Smallholder Farmers and Traders in Mayuge District, Uganda

Market access is increasingly relying on ICTs that are adopted haphazardly yet less is known about available ICTs; technology, potential users, and characteristics of both entities hence the study assessed adoption of ICTs in market services by smallholders determining; components, factors influencing adoption, choice of combinations and 150 farmers and 50 traders were interviewed randomly. Majority of respondents had knowledge of ICT groups but only 22% had membership despite 80% agreeing that ICTs benefit agriculture. Radio and mobile phone were most used and poverty, poor power/network coverage limited ICT use whereas experience, family size and land farmed influenced adoption

Gender impacts on adoption of new technologies: the case of improved groundnut varieties in Uganda

Peanuts are a key crop in Uganda and are grown by both male and female farmers, although there is a strong inclination for resource-use decisions to be performed by specific genders. This paper identifies opportunities and participation by women and men in the decision to adopt improved peanut varieties in Uganda using a unique dataset from 20 leading peanut-growing districts in the country. The results indicate that there are gender differences in adopting improved varieties of peanuts. In addition, women in female-headed households are less likely to adopt improved varieties compared to women and men in male-headed households, suggesting that they may have less access to resources than women in male-headed households. The gender of the household head has implications for the adoption of improved technologies by women. Moreover, this imbalance in resource access and income-improving decision-making ability by women may have implications for the adoption of other technologies that could improve household welfare