Conference Proceedings

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Browsing Conference Proceedings by Author "Ndyomugyenyi, E. K."

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    Enhancing pig production and marketing for smallholder farmers in Northern Uganda
    (The RUFORUM Sixth Biennial Regional Conference, 2018-10-22) Ndyomugyenyi, E. K.; Odongo, W.; Okello, D. M.; Mutetikka, D.; Ouma, E.; Okot, M. W.
    Pig production is suited to smallholder production because pigs have unique characteristics such as faster growth rates, ability to be kept on small pieces of land, high multiplication rates, ability to feed on many feedstuffs, and pig products have ready market. However, pig production is constrained by unavailability of quality feeds and unsustainable use of local feed resources; poor breeds; ready markets for pig products are not reliable; inadequate extension services; and odour in pig houses. This study aims to address key constraints in pig production and marketing by promoting sustainable breeding, management and marketing practices. The objective is being achieved using: (1) multistakeholder platform comprising of farmers, TVET and University students; private sector, CBO, traders, pork joint operators and input dealers; (2) collaborative community action research and dissemination; (3) communication to enhance community engagement and joint learning; (4) experiential learning and sharing experiences. Before the project started, a baseline survey was conducted in the districts of Kitgum, Gulu and Omoro. The baseline survey showed that 87.5% of pig farmers were married; 72.9% were males, and average age was 33 years. Apart from pigs, farmers grew mainly simsim, cassava, maize, millet, sorghum, sweet potatoes, and reared chickens, and goats and 95.8% of them had limited access to extension services. Most (93.8%) farmers sold live pigs, and 22.9% of them sold the pigs to roasters and butchers. All farmers used natural mating for breeding compared to only 2% who used Artificial insemination. Few (2%) farmers used Indigenous microorganisms to control smell from pig houses. Most farmers reported that diseases (89.6%) and feed scarcity (43.8%) were the major limitations to pig production. In order to increase smallholder pig production in northern Uganda, there is need to improve pig value chain through feeding, nsorthern Uganda, value addition, and marketing.
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    University-BTVET-Community Convergence in promoting pig production amongst smallholder farmers in Northern Uganda
    (RUFORUM Working Document Series, 2018-10-22) Tebere, L.; Aliro, T.; Ndyomugyenyi, E. K.; Odongo, W.
    Business, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) has the potential of increasing productivity and incomes. In an education system whose curricula favours white collar jobs over blue collar jobs, technical and vocational training has long been seen as a path for failures and school dropouts from the academic path. This attitude diminished the importance of BTVETs as the engine to drive workforce productivity and employment. However, recent transformations have re-emphasized the importance of BTVETs to economic development. Current challenges to BTVETs relate to the mismatch between the training curricula and the labour market needs, limited financing and limited access to BTVET education by the poor and vulnerable groups. These limitations has meant that most BTVETs delivers poor quality training that ultimately generates under-trained technicians that do not meet the market needs for the graduates. To address some of these limitations, Northern Uganda Youth Development Centre (NUYDC) was established to offer quality, and subsidised technical and vocational training to vulnerable youths in Northern Uganda. Further, NUYDC is collaborating with the Faculty of Agriculture and Environment at Gulu University to provide the link between knowledge generation, dissemination and uptake by farmers. The collaboration with Gulu University also involves the design and implementation of targeted agricultural trainings that meet the needs of smallholder farmers. The expected outcome is a trained workforce with relevant skills to contribute to community development.