Haroon Sseguya

Empowering farmers to learn and innovate through integration of video-mediated and face-to-face extension approaches: The case of rice farmers in Uganda

Abstract Agricultural extension is perceived as the primary mechanism through which farmers expand their ability to adopt and adapt new technologies and ideas. The use of Information and Communication Technology like videos in extension is being fronted as an alternative to the conventional Face-to-face extension approach (F2FEA). A comparison of effectiveness of the Video-mediated extension approach (VMEA) and F2FEA among rice farmers in two districts of Uganda challenges the independent use of the two approaches. A cross-sectional survey of two non-equivalent groups subjected to VMEA in Kamwenge and F2FEA in Hoima districts was conducted with 196 farmers. The results indicate greater potential for integration of VMEA and F2FEA as the two are complementary in the various stages of the farmer learning framework developed. VMEA is significantly better in awareness creation and sharing of knowledge and experiences while the F2FEA is significantly better at enhancing knowledge acquisition and retention and application. The relative strengths of VMEA and F2FEA can best be harnessed through integration of the approaches. The integration will not solve the problem of large farmer to extension ratio common in developing countries but will rather make the extension workers more effective. The integration however calls for rethinking of institutional arrangement, roles of the extension worker, and pragmatic retooling of the extension worker to embrace social learning principles that empower farmers to be more self-directed learners and innovators.

Partnership construction and value co-creation to address voids in rice production: The case of rice value chains in Uganda

Abstract Since the establishment of One Stop Center Farmer Associations (OSCAs) in Uganda 13 years ago, no documentation of the work done had been carried out. This study was conducted on the partnership and value co-creation initiatives implemented by two OSCAs in the rice value chain in Luwero and Bugiri districts, Uganda. The methodology used involved use of semi structured interviews and check lists for focus group discussions as well as key informant interviews. Eight focus group interviews were conducted, with an average attendance of six members per group (48 members) in Bugiri and 48 members in Luwero district. Interviews were also conducted for 44 key informants. A total of 140 respondents were interviewed both in the focus group discussions and as key informants. The information was analyzed with NVIVO software. Findings indicate that partnership construction and value co-creation occurred in the OSCA value chains, but have not yet reached the ideal status, although they have advanced through the stages of development. There is an increased number of actors with vast interests interacting with the OSCAs for value co-creation. However, the cooperative co-creation of value along the chain requires a focus on achieving all actor value propositions as well as optimal outcomes for all. The study, therefore, recommends that in the process of constructing partnerships and co-creation, it is necessary to be aware of differences in each actor’s views, motivations, and ways of working. This will lead to complementing each other through realizing and accepting differences to make the partnerships work.

Taking agricultural technologies to scale: experiences from a vegetable technology dissemination initiative in Tanzania

ABSTRACT One of the widely suggested approaches to meet the increasing food demand of a substantially growing world population is sustainable intensification. We present a unique agricultural research and scaling programme in Tanzania, focusing on the key elements necessary for results related to: gender analysis; private sector engagement; social capital; improvement and adaptation; and programme performance monitoring and evaluation. Since 2014, more than 6000 farmers have benefited from either the adaptive research or the scaling component of the programme. Preliminary impact analysis results from six pilot locations indicate that programme participants realized significantly higher yields compared to non-participants. In addition to productivity improvements, introducing resistant and drought-tolerant elite vegetable varieties improved the resilience of the existing farming systems. Finally, considering the needs of both male and female participants had a positive impact on technology adoption rates and reach.

Accounting for correlation among environmental covariates improves delineation of extrapolation suitability index for agronomic technological packages

Abstract This paper generates an extrapolation suitability index (ESI) to guide scaling-out of improved maize varieties and inorganic fertilizers. The best-bet technology packages were selected based on yield gap data from trial sites in Tanzania. A modified extrapolation detection algorithm was used to generate maps on two types of dissimilarities between environmental conditions at the reference sites and the outlying projection domain. The two dissimilarity maps were intersected to generate ESI. Accounting for correlation structure among covariates improved estimate of risk of extrapolating technologies. The covariate that highly limited the suitability of specific technology package in each pixel was identified. The impact based spatial targeting index (IBSTI) identified zones that should be prioritized to maximize the potential impacts of scaling-out technology packages. The proposed indices will guide extension agencies in targeting technology packages to suitable environments with high potential impact to increase probability of adoption and reduce risk of failure.

Information quality, sharing and usage in farmer organizations: The case of rice value chains in Bugiri and Luwero Districts, Uganda

Abstract Information is the connection of all components of a value chain network, activities and operations. Information transfer depends on the level of trust and interaction in the structure of the chain’s information system. This study was conducted on information quality, sharing and usage by two OSCAs in the rice value chain in Luwero and Bugiri districts, Uganda. The methodology used involved use of semi structured interviews, check lists for focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Seven focus group interviews were conducted, with an average attendance of six members per group (42 members) in Bugiri and 42 members in Luwero district. Interviews were also conducted for 30 key informants. A total of 114 respondents were interviewed in focus group discussions and as key informants. The information was analyzed with NVIVO software. Findings indicate that information sharing, type, quality content and usage of information depended on trust. Trust was a result of regular interactions among the network actors to learn more about each other. The result was exchange of more important and valuable information within the OSCAs. However, reliability of the information from actor perspective varied, with information from government actors being the least reliable and that from the private actors being the most reliable. Feedback was also an impediment to information sharing, caused by lack of trust among some actors. We recommend that it is imperative to have feedback within and among actors to enable establish trust and genuine sharing of information to address specific information gaps.