Factors influencing access to agricultural information by commercial urban farmers in Kamoala City, Uganda

Abstract

Commercial urban farming in Kampala is greatly challenged by inability to access agricultural infomiation and agricultural departmenfs lack of knowledge on farmer's information needs. in addition absence of designated areas for agriculture means that locations are ever changing. therefore a need for a comprehensive database. The purpose of the study was to contribute to the promotion of agricultural information dissemination to commercial urban famiers (CUFs). A total of 199 CUFs intervieived In Kawempe division 76 farmers were interviewed, Lubaga 46, Central I6, Malcindye 23 and Nakawa 38. Descnptive statics was used to identify and document farmer information needs and effective infomiation pathways. Logit model using ordinary least squares was estimated to detemiine social economic factors that influenced access and use of agricultural information and Mann- Whitney test was used to asses levels of preferences of information sources for making production and marketing decisions for sub groups that were created Majority of the famiers (28.1%) obtained their information from other farmers. Farmer's perceived demonstration plots and famier workshops as being more effective sources of disseminating information. Most useful sources for making marketing decisions were marketing and production specialists (25.3%) and (24.2%) respectively. Most useful sources of information for production decisions were interpersonal and marketing specialists. (37.9%) and (25.9%) respectively. Access to information on high yielding varieties and pesticide application was influenced by education farming experience. type agriculture and gender. Small income farmers preferred production specialists, print and interpersonal sources as their most useful sources of agricultural information for making production decisions (P<0.05).' It can be concluded that access to agricultural information was influenced by farmer experience, education gender and type agriculture practiced. The study recommends that more demonstration plots should be established on the peripheries of the city. There is need to consider aspects like farmer education farming experience and gender when packaging information for dissemination. The information should cater for educated and non-educated farmers and should be gender specific.