Agricultural Development Strategies and Rural Household Livelihoods in Mbarara district, Uganda

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between Agricultural Development Strategies and rural House hold livelihood in Mbarara District. The study was premised on the following research objectives: to examine the relationship between extension services and rural household livelihoods in Mbarara District, western Uganda, to examine the relationship between access to credit and rural household livelihoods in Mbarara District, western Uganda and to examine the relationship between market information and rural household livelihood in Mbarara District, Western Uganda. The study adopted a descriptive cross sectional survey design where both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. In this study, a total number of 113 respondents were expected but 60 respondents returned the survey instruments representing a response rate of 53%. The data was collected using questionnaires, interviews and quantitative data analysis was done using regression analysis and Pearson correlation coefficients for the quantitative findings. Qualitative analysis was done using content and thematic analysis Firstly, findings revealed that there is a positive significant relationship between extension services and rural household livelihood in Mbarara District r value was 0.772(**). Secondly, findings revealed that there is a positive significant relationship between access to credit and rural household livelihood r value was 0.212(**). Thirdly, findings revealed that there is a positive significant relationship between market information and rural household livelihood r=0.622 and P=0.000. Findings revealed that three Institutions are extensively carrying out extension services in Mbarara that is Sasakawa, NARO and Local Government. The three have used more than three extension methods to disseminate the climate smart technologies practices/agricultural practices to the farmers.Findings revealed that smallholder farmers often face constraints when they want to access markets or when they want to improve their competitiveness in markets. Smallholder farmers often have low market access as compared to their larger and more capitalized colleagues. It was recommended that: farmer groups should be supported in order to help the extension staff make wider coverage and take advantage of interpersonal communication. There is need to create appropriate information channels among the farmers. The loans should be given at low interest rates since most of the farmers in Mbarara cannot afford loans at high interest rates. Free collateral security loans will be useful in such a situation. So, it is advisable to strengthen farmers group, strengthen cooperative and union to increase chances of farmers accessing credit.