Abstract:

Agriculture contributes approximately 80% of the national GDP. Overall, it employs 95% of the rural population directly or indirectly, the majority of whom are women (GoU, 2000). In the Lango farming system, agriculture is an important source of livelihood. The two districts of Lira and Apac serve as the major food baskets for the whole of northern region. However, management of resources among the rural farmers is still a big challenge. This is partly due to the fact that past attempts to solve production related problems were concentrated on the supply side; development experts decided what is best for the rural poor and generally assumed that farmers were ignorant. This liner model of technology generation and transfer to fanners did not result in the impacts envisioned. On the contrary, lack of participation of the end-user/clients at various points in the research and development process limited their ability to be proactive in seeking information and stepping up innovation in their own environments. As a result, poverty and food insecurity still characterize a majority of households in the zone.