| dc.description.abstract | SSENDIWALA FREDRICK .A. NSUBUGA (2010-M152-20058)
The Impact of Participatory Approaches on Adoption of Agro-forestry Technologies in Mityana District Agro-ecological Zone
This study on the Impact of Participatory Approaches on Adoption of Agro-forestry Technologies was carried out in Mityana District Agro-ecological Zone (AEZ). A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data on adoption of agro-forestry technologies through the use of participatory approaches. This was adopted since few respondents representing several farmer groups provided the data and collection of relevant data was made easy. The sampling units were the sub-counties of Busimbi and Ssekanyonyi. This was done using a cluster sampling method, eight (8) Agro-forestry Farmers‟ Groups (AFGs) equivalent to 240 farmers were selected to participate in the study out of which 72 individuals were chosen as the sample size through a simple random sampling technique. The sample was selected after stratifying the population into two categories of males and females such that each is represented in the study data. The study findings revealed that many Agro-forestry systems are new in terms of management compared to conventional practices which farmers are more familiar with, and of which they had received trainings for a longer period. Apart from a few organisations or institutions like Vi Agro-forestry project and ICRAF that are involved in awareness creation and building knowledge and skills‟ capacities to manage Agro-forestry systems, generally in Uganda the national extension programmes, human capacity, infrastructure and institutional supports for popularising Agro-forestry systems are low. The study findings provided the following conclusions; Farmer Groups‟ meetings, Co-save, Farmers‟ study tours and community trainings were the most common participatory approaches used. In regards to the level of adoption of Agro-forestry management technologies with participatory approaches in Mityana district Agro-ecological zone, 98.6% of the respondents agreed that agro forestry practices had helped them to get benefits from adoption of technologies. The following recommendations were drawn: more incentives should be provided to farmers to participate in Agro-forestry management technologies. This could be done through helping farmers form and consolidate farmer groups by relevant development partners and facilitating famer groups to make tours and trainings to acquire knowledge (learn new skills) and adopt agro-forestry technologies. The government, extension agents, civil society organisations and farmer group trainers should extend more training to agro-forestry farmers to equip them with better farming technologies for the enhancement and protection of the agro-ecosystem, and all relevant authorities should avail agro-forestry farmers with environmentally friendly measures that can be used to manage pests and diseases of agro-forestry resources, teach them better land management practices, avoid land users conflicts and environmental degradation.
Key words: Approach, Adoption, Agro-forestry, Technology, Participatory | en_US |
