Daniel Micheal Okello

This study examined the profit efficiency of smallholder dairy farmers operating under different dairy production systems in Gulu District and Gulu City. Specifically, the study assessed the determinants of profit efficiency among farmers practicing zero-grazing, tethering, and herding dairy production systems. A cross-sectional survey design was employed using quantitative primary data collected from 191 smallholder dairy households selected through a multistage sampling technique. The stochastic profit frontier model based on the Cobb-Douglas functional specification was used to estimate profit efficiency and identify factors influencing inefficiency across the dairy production systems. The findings revealed considerable variation in profit efficiency determinants across the three dairy production systems. For the overall dairy production system, equipment costs positively influenced profit efficiency (β = 0.069, p < 0.05), while feed costs negatively affected profitability (β = −0.145, p < 0.01). Under the zero-grazing system, herd size significantly improved profit efficiency (β = 0.700, p < 0.01), whereas feed costs reduced profitability (β = −0.553, p < 0.01). Within the tethering system, land size (β = 0.343, p < 0.05) and feed costs (β = 0.235, p < 0.01) positively influenced profit efficiency. In contrast, under the herding system, land size negatively affected profit efficiency (β = −0.482, p < 0.01), while equipment costs positively influenced profitability (β = 0.313, p < 0.05). The inefficiency model showed that education level, improved breed types, and market proximity significantly reduced inefficiency across the overall dairy production systems. The estimated gamma value (γ = 0.93454, p < 0.001) indicated that about 93.45% of the variation in dairy profit performance was attributed to inefficiency effects. The overall mean profit efficiency score was 0.6121, implying that farmers could improve profit efficiency by 26.14% if they operated at the level of the most efficient farmers. Among the production systems, the zero-grazing system recorded the highest mean profit efficiency score (0.9886), followed by the herding system (0.5163), while the tethering system had the lowest efficiency score (0.3572). The study concludes that improving feed management, strengthening extension services, promoting farmer education, and increasing investment in productive dairy assets are essential for improving profit efficiency among smallholder dairy farmers.

Agricultural development projects are expected to result in better livelihoods and welfare for target communities. However, questions remain as to whether these projects yield the expected outcomes which includes increased farm incomes. These expected outcomes usually arise from adoption of technologies and/or practices promoted under such projects. This study investigated the effect of technology adoption (TA) from an agricultural development project on beneficiary farmers’ farm income and their household’s expenditure. A cross‐sectional research design was used to sample 379 former project beneficiaries randomly. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the instrumental variable (IV) local average treatment effects (LATEs) model in STATA. Results showed that approximately 80% of the project beneficiaries adopted at least one of the crop production technologies promoted. This adoption rate was influenced by factors such as farming experience and gender, among others. The treatment effects results showed that adoption had a positive impact on farm income, with inconclusive evidence for expenditure. Additionally, the level of farm income was influenced by use of land owned, use of ox‐plow, and farmer’s experience. On the other hand, the level of expenditure was influenced by farmers’ level of education, use of hired labor, and farmer’s experience. Our findings show that adoption has a direct effect on farm income and consequently household welfare. For sustained adoption, there is a need for context specific programs that address the bottlenecks of adoption, including aspects of gender, as well as ownership of assets such as ox‐plows and land, which have all been shown to influence the level of adoption.

Purpose: This study aims to assess the relationship between market orientation and innovation while accounting for the use of purchased feeds and access to veterinary services. Design/methodology/approach: This study used primary data collected from a cross-section of smallholder pig farmers in northern Uganda. Data were collected using pre-tested structured questionnaires. Collected data were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis and hierarchical regression. Findings: Results show that having improved breeds and providing housing to pigs improve system-focused innovation but reduce customer-focused innovation. The use of purchased feeds was associated with higher levels of both dimensions of innovation, while access to veterinary services was only associated with higher levels of system-focused innovation. Customer orientation is positive for both dimensions of innovation, while competitor orientation is positive for system-focused innovation, but negative for customer-focused innovation. Lastly, interfunctional innovation was only associated with higher levels of customer-focused innovation. Access to veterinary services and the use of purchased feeds influence the magnitude of the effect of market orientation on innovation. Research limitations/implications: The findings of this paper suggest that improving smallholder pig farmers’ market orientation could lead to a higher level of farm innovation. Similarly, improving access to veterinary services and better feeds could be linked to higher levels of market orientation, as well as farm-level innovation. Originality/value: This paper is original and contributes to the understanding of the relationship between market orientation and farm-level innovation in the context of pig production in a developing country.

Bovine fasciolosis (BF) is a parasitic disease of cattle that causes significant economic impacts to cattle farmers. The physical loses include weight loss, drop in productivity, liver condemnation and mortalities. This study assessed the prevalence, financial losses and risk factors associated with the disease in Lira and Gulu Districts, northern Uganda. A cross‐sectional study of 720 slaughter cattle from the abattoirs was conducted by macroscopic examination of the animals and carcasses during routine slaughter. In the farms, 120 rectal faecal samples were taken to a laboratory for Fasciola egg detection by simple microscopy, while risk factors were assessed by administering a questionnaire to farm owners. Prevalence of BF was highest (38%) within cattle in the age group of 1–3 years and lowest (18%) in those over 5 years. The overall BF prevalence was 48% and 26% by postmortem examination and coprology, respectively. The cattle body condition had a significant association ( p < 0.01) with prevalence of BF, in which emaciated cattle were most affected (59%), while fat ones had the least prevalence (15%). The annual financial loss due to BF infection was USD 89,099. The major risk factors associated with the disease at the farm level were communal grazing in swampy areas (82%) and watering cattle in swamps (71%). Farms where the source of drinking water was swamp water had higher chances ( p < 0.05) of their cattle having BF. An integrated approach using routine deworming programs, improvement of cattle management practices and control of snail intermediate hosts is recommended to effectively control the spread of BF.