Assessing socio-economic factors influencing adoption of recommended Robusta coffee inputs among smallholder farmers in Ntenjeru sub-county, Mukono district.

Abstract

The study assessed socio-economic factors affect the adoption of recommended Robusta coffee inputs among smallholder farmers in Ntenjeru sub-county Mukono district. Robusta coffee (coffea canephora). The use of improved agricultural recommended inputs and management. Objectives were; to identify the inputs used in coffee production, to identify socio-economic challenges that affect the uptake of recommended coffee management practices, to identify the policy interventions to address the challenges to up take of recommended input and practices. Results for objective one the results show that fertilizer application was the major input used with 83.2% where by organic fertilizers had 67.2%. The socio-economic challenges the results show that seven factors were significant at 5% significance and these include: age of the farmer [exp=1.932, =0.022], land size [exp (B) = 1.234, sig= 0.018], education level [exp (B) =1.146, sig= 0.002], household size [OR=1.293, sig= 0.012], un-accessibility to credit [exp (B) = 1.000, sig= 0.031].The policy interventions that were recommended by respondents include; parish development model (77%) and land reforms policy (11%) and those that are so far implemented was One acre fund which improves on market for coffee. In conclusion fertilizers is the major input used, the study indicates there are significant socio-economic factors like age, land size, education, un-accessibility to credit. Recommendations made were that there is need for more education, revising land reforms, changing the mindset and perceptions of farmers towards use of recommended input and management practices for coffee production.