Smallholder farming, predominant in Uganda, is characterized by low productivity for most crops including rice which is gaining prominence as both a food and income crop. The low productivity is mostly attributed to allocative inefficiency. Allocative efficiency (AE) considers farmers' ability to allocate resources efficiently, by producing the maximum possible output at minimum cost. Increasing AE requires an understanding of the specific sources of inefficiency that vary across farm enterprises, geographically and temporally. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Gulu and Amuru districts of Northern Uganda to assess the sources of farm-level allocative inefficiency in rice production using the stochastic frontier approach. Data were collected from a random sample of 200 smallholder rice farmers. Results show that the mean AE was 75%. Household size, distance to trading centre, farm size, number of crop enterprises, use of hired labour, use of ox-plough, and access to credit had significant effects on AE. We recommend adoption of technologies such as the use of ox-ploughs and reallocation of farm resources especially labour.

Market-oriented farmers play a significant role in the rural agricultural sector in Uganda. However, these trader-farmers are often disadvantaged by limited access to information, services, appropriate technology and capital. These factors restrict their capacity to effectively participate in the marketing of their produce. In many instances farmers, including those in the potato innovation platforms (IPs) of Southwestern (SW) Uganda are relegated to the lower end of value chains where they are price takers with little bargaining power. Therefore they end up earning little margins while giant chain actors along the chain like middlemen have the power to determine prices paid by the final consumer and thus extract huge marketing margins. This study aimed at identifying marketing channels of potatoes from the farm to consumption; identifying marketing constraints faced by farmers and traders in the potato marketing chain in SW Uganda; and assessing the marketing performance of potato markets. Data were collected in July 2010 from 291 respondents in 2 IPs in SW Uganda. Descriptive statistics were used to characterise potato traders and farmers while Gross Margin Analysis was used to determine the market performance for different potato varieties. Purchase prices varied by district between UgSh350/kg for Rwashaki variety and UgSh531/kg for Kinigi variety. Sutama and Victoria varieties had the highest marketing margins in Kabale and Kisoro districts respectively.

Background: This study investigated consumer demand heterogeneity and valuation of a processed bean product-"precooked beans" with substantially reduced cooking time. Common bean is the most important source of protein for low-and middle-income households in Uganda. Its consumption is, however, constrained by long cooking time, high cooking energy and water requirements. As consumption dynamics change due to a rapid expansion of urban populations, rising incomes and high costs of energy, demand for fast-cooking processed foods is rising. An affordable, on-the-shelf bean product that requires less time, fuel and water to cook is thus inevitable.Methods: A choice experiment was used to elicit consumer choices and willingness to pay for precooked beans. Data used were collected from 558 households from urban, peri-urban and rural parts of central Uganda and analyzed using a latent class model which is suitable when consumer preferences for product attributes are heterogeneous. Results:Study results revealed three homogeneous consumer segments with one accounting for 44.3% comprising precooked bean enthusiasts. Consumers derive high utility from a processed bean product with improved nutrition quality, reduced cooking time and hence save water and fuel. The demand for the processed bean is driven by cost saving and preference for convenience, which are reflected in willingness to pay a premium to consume it. Heterogeneity in attribute demand is explained by sex and education of the respondents, volumes of beans consumed, location and sufficiency in own bean supply. Conclusions:Our findings suggest that exploring avenues for nutritionally enhancing while optimizing processing protocols to make precooked beans affordable will increase consumer demand. These results have implications for market targeting, product design and pricing of precooked beans.

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The global policy community has largely converged on climate-smart agriculture as a solution to various problems driven by climate change, but mass adoption of the crucial innovations presents challenges – particularly in the developing world. Widespread, meaningful, and rapid adoption of climate-smart agriculture will require an appropriate enabling environment. This study uses the political will and public will approach to identify the obstacles and opportunities for upscaling of climate-smart agriculture innovations. In 2015 and 2018, two rounds of semi-structured stakeholder and expert interviews conducted by researchers in Uganda identified four relevant obstacle categories: agricultural extension; communication infrastructure; basic and agricultural infrastructure; and other incentives and disincentives. These categories are related to the five definitional components of public will to reveal pathways for enabling social change. Importantly, both infrastructure and appropriate incentives are necessary for diffusion and then continued use of climate-smart agriculture innovations, often in interrelated ways. The study concludes with a detailed discussion of the implications for industry, government, and donors.