Assessing the Opportunities and Constraints Of adopting Agro-Forestry Practices by Smallholder Farmers in Luwero District, Central Uganda o
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Date
2023-08-07
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Kampala International University
Abstract
The study assessed the opportunities and constraints of adopting agro-forestry practices by smallholder farmers in Luwero district, central Uganda. It characterizes the agro-forestry practices undertaken by smallholder farmers in Luwero. It examines the determinants for the adoption of agro-forestry by smallholder farmers. It also ascertains the opportunities for adopting agro-forestry practices by smallholder farmers and establishes the constraints to adopting agro-forestry practices. Data was collected from 304 respondents providing information from administered questionnaires and interviews with 10 respondents. The study discovered that agro-forestry in Luwerois characterized by the presence of home-based agriculture schemes and field agricultural programsthat are expected to enable food security. It found that agro-forestry is determined naturally by the presence of good rainfall and climatic conditions, education of the community and family size, government policy supporting adoption of agro-forestry and presence of institutions such as NEMA in the regulations.The study found that agro-forestry provides economic opportunities through employment and income, rainfall, provide a sense of environmental sustainability, supporting environmental security, provision of food and animals as food for the people in the small holder farms.The study also identifiesthat agro-forestry is constrained bythe ineffective implementation of policy, poor policy management, lack of effective control for agriculture, drought constraint the agro-forestry, presence of disastrous winds, lack of water for irrigation and high costs of the agro-forestry schemes.Hence, it concludes that agro-forestry practices are common amongst the small holder farmers in the Luwero district, though the farmers are not conversant with the programme (crops and trees are cultivated on the same piece of land). Secondly, it affirms that agro-forestry by small holder farmers in the Luwero district is supported by the presence of rainfall and good climatic conditions, supportive government policy and institutions which agitate for theschemes in the district. Thirdly, it surmises that agro-forestry in the Luwero district provides positive economic, environmental and food security mechanisms for the people. It also concludes that agro-forestry is constrained bythe lack of adequate policy essential to significantlysupports the schemes, low access to irrigation.The study recommends theadoption of agro-forestry-based climate change adaptation technologies among smallholder farmers in the Luwero district. There is a need for improvement and increasing governmental and institutional support systems that will enable farmers in the watershed to have equitable assess to interventions that promote the practising of agro-forestry. Also, farmers’ access to markets needs to be improved with the creation of value chains for agro-forestry products.There is a need for developing strategies, frameworks and indicators at alllevels to continuously measure progress in agro-forestry systems and their climate benefits.
Description
A Research Dissertation Submitted To the School Of Natural and Applied Sciences in Partial Fulfilment Of The
Requirements for the Award of Master’s Degree In Environmental Management of Kampala International University
Keywords
Opportunities, Constraints, Adopting, Agro-Forestry Practices, Smallholder Farmers, Luwero District