Potato yields in Uganda have remained low at 7.5 t ha-1. This low yield is attributed to low yielding varieties, poor management practices and lack of quality seed potatoes among other factors. This study was conducted to ascertain the challenges and opportunities of quality seed potato availability and production in the southwestern highlands agro-ecological zone (SWHAEZ). A total of 15 farmer groups were randomly selected from a sample size of 200 farmers and individually interviewed. The results of study indicated that high transaction costs (43.5%), lack of clear seed delivery system (40.5%) and limited information on the source of seed (14.0%) were the main constraints limiting farmers' access to and use of quality seed potato. Up to 93% of the farmers in SWHAEZ use home saved seed from previous harvests and conventional ware potato markets, whose quality is not guaranteed. Although over 70% of the farmers were convinced that quality of seed had a positive effect on yield increase, 72% of them still use poor quality seed often infected by bacterial wilt. In addition, 52% of the farmers lacked specific storage facilities for potato seed; and this further lowered the grade of the seed quality. However, a number of opportunities existed for production and access to quality seed including; various proven technologies for producing quality seed potato and ready demand for potato seed and ware potato. Of the seed potato production technologies, positive selected seed (PSS) seemed to have the highest quantity of seed; while basic seed produced heaviest tubers than the rest of the technologies.

The study evaluated the socio-economic viability and factors influencing profitability of apple enterprise under smallholder farming system in Uganda. A sample of 52 apple farming households was randomly selected in the districts of Uganda: Kabale, Kisoro, Kanungu and Rukungiri. Data were collected with the use of structured questionnaires, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, gross margin analysis and multiple regression model. The results showed that apples were planted on small scale with only 6% of land allocated to total apple enterprise in 2011. However, land allocation to apple enterprise is increasing and the enterprise currently covers 20% of farm lands. The dominant varieties among apple farmers are Golden Dorset, 56.1% and Anna, 40.9%. Men constituted 74.5% of the apple farmers, while the mean age of apple farmers was 57 years, with an average experience of over 10 years. Gross margin of apple enterprise in Kabale and Kanungu district had a positive ratio of return on investment of 1.5 and 1.7, respectively. Kisoro and Rukungiri districts had a negative ratio of return on investment of (0.9 and 0.3, respectively). Ordinary least squares (OLS) results indicated that the gender of the respondent, family size, access to credit, influence of birds, type of apple variety, number of apple trees planted, amount of labor used and quantity of inorganic fertilizers applied were significant determinants of net income in apple production. There is need to reduce the labor costs in apple establishment and management, promote strategies that encourage the youth to participate in apple farming. Research has to come up with an effective but affordable remedy against the negative influence of birds in apple production. Farmers need to be linked to financial providers for credit access at low interest rate in order to facilitate routine apple management practices.

This study established the level of technical efficiency and its determinants among the informal and formal seed potato producers in the southwestern highlands agro - ecological zone of Uganda. A multi- stage sampling procedure was employed to select 636 households (499 informal seed producers and 137 formal seed producers) from which data was collected for two seasons using a semi - structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using the stochastic frontier approach with a one - step approach. Maximum likelihood estimates for the efficiency parameters showed that both informal and formal seed potato producers were not fully efficient. The mean technical efficiency for informal and formal seed potato producers was 8 1 .4 and 80.4 percent respectively. In terms of yield loss, informal and formal seed potato producers respectively lost an average of 981 and 1,208 kg/acre of seed potato tubers due to inefficiency factors . Specifically, off- farm income source, scale of production, seasonal variation, access to extension services and seed producer being male positively influenced informal seed producers’ technical efficiency while producers’ level of education and seed potato variety diversity negatively influenced their efficiency. For formal seed producers, technical efficiency was influenced positively by producers’ education and negatively by household size. The study suggests that there is an opportunity to improve technical efficiency of informal and formal seed producers by 19 and 20 percent respectively. Therefore, this calls for increased investment in developing and promoting high yielding varieties, provision of extension services, input intensification and addressing gender issues in seed potato production in the context of limited arable land .

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