Abstract:

The study aimed to synthesize IITA/ZOA baseline reports to understand the diversity and opportunities in farming systems within West Nile sub region and make recommendations on which focal enterprises and technologies that can be promoted to enhance overall food production and production for the markets and improve rural livelihoods. The study was largely based on literature review of existing baseline reports. Further exploration of household data collected by IITA was done to further support the observations and information obtained from the baseline studies. Household data were collected from 500 farming households in five districts in West Nile sub region - Arua, Koboko, Moyo, Nebbi and Zombo districts. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and econometric analyses. Results showed diversified farming systems in West Nile, involving both mixed crop and livestock farming. Cassava was the most important crop enterprise, and its production was mainly for home consumption with surplus for market. Farm enterprises of importance to markets included simsim, ground nuts and high value vegetables, along the traditional cash crops, cotton, tobacco and coffee. These enterprises also showed high gross margins and returns to labour across the study districts. A number of factors positively affected productivity of farm enterprises. The significant factors were household size, farm size, and conservation measures on farm. Together with high cost of labour, profitability was greatly reduced, especially in Moyo. Existing farm technologies included conservation measures, organic input use, chemical fertilizer use, agronomic practices and farm mechanization. However, their adoption was very minimal across the study districts, constrained by lack of knowledge and awareness of these technologies, cost of acquiring the technologies and uncertainty of possible returns to investment. The key production constraints were pests and diseases (also a major constraint to post-harvest), droughts, poor quality seed, soil infertility and weeds. Cassava, groundnuts, high value vegetables (onions, okra, and tomatoes) and simsim are proposed as focus enterprises considering their importance to farm households and their competitiveness in terms of gross margins and returns to labour. Farmers are already allocating relatively large proportions of land to these crops. Interventions to increase farmers' returns from these crops should focus on increasing productivity, reducing cost of labour and enhancing commercialization of the crops.