Browsing by Author "Odongo, Walter"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Access to veterinary services and expenditure on pig health management
    (Springer, 2020-10-07) Okello, Daniel Micheal; Odongo, Walter; Aliro, Tonny; Ndyomugyenyi, Elly Kurobuza
    Pig farming has gained momentum for most smallholder farmers in developing countries as a means of livelihood and household incomes. However, prospects of the pig enterprises are constrained by pig health management issues which affect both its productivity and profitability. Using a cross-sectional survey of 240 smallholder pig farmers, we assessed factors influencing farmers’ access to veterinary services and expenditure on pig health management in northern Uganda. Data was analysed using the binary logit and censored tobit regression models. Access to veterinary services was significantly influenced by pig herd size (p < 0.05), Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) membership (p < 0.1), breed (p < 0.05), production system (p < 0.05) and number of health issues recorded on farm (p < 0.01). Education level (p < 0.01), farming household members (p < 0.05), pig herd size (p < 0.01), breed (p < 0.05), previous disease incidences (p < 0.05), household labour available (p < 0.1) and access to veterinary services (p < 0.01) significantly influenced pig health expenditure. Efforts to improve access to veterinary services and improve pig health management should focus on promoting more intensive production systems and improved breeds that are associated with better access to veterinary services and reduced cost of pig health management.
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    Alone or a combination: ascertaining factors associated with choice of pig health management strategies amongst smallholder farmers in northern Uganda.
    (Elsevier, 2022-12-17) Okello-Owiny., David; Ndyomugyenyi, Elly Kurobuza; Odongo, Walter; Aliro, Tonny; Okello, Daniel Micheal
    Pig production is an important farm enterprise for an increasing number of smallholder farmers due to its potential for improving household incomes. The sector is however faced with high burden of health issues that limit most farmers from realizing the benefits. In order to improve management of pig health for smallholder farmers, an understanding of the major health issues and factors associated with farmers' choice of the pig health management strategies are paramount. Using a cross-sectional survey of 240 smallholder pig farmers in northern Uganda, this study assessed the factors associated with the use of different pig health management practices adopted by smallholder pig farmers. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and two different regression models. Binary Probit Regression model was used to assess factors associated with the use of a single pig health management strategy, while, Generalized Poisson Regression model was used to assess the factors associated with the number of pig health management strategies used by the farmers. Results showed that the common health issues were African Swine Fever, lice, worms and mange, while the common strategies for health management involved self-administering antibiotics, consulting veterinarians, deworming, spraying with acaricides, selling the sick pigs, treatment with local herbs, and burying dead pigs. These pig health management strategies were influenced by farmers location, experience, age, access to extension, use of information and communication technologies, and use of processed feeds. This study recommends improving farmers' access to relevant information and expanding veterinary extension services by promoting the use of radio and mobile phones in pig health management.
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    Applying the food technology neophobia scale in a developing country context.
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2015-10-07) De Steur, Hans; Odongo, Walter; Gellynck, Xavier
    The success of new food technologies largely depends on consumers' behavioral responses to the innovation. In Eastern Africa, and Uganda in particular, a technology to process matooke into flour has been introduced with limited success. We measure and apply the Food technology Neophobia Scale (FTNS) to this specific case. This technique has been increasingly used in consumer research to determine consumers' fear for foods produced by novel technologies. Although it has been successful in developed countries, the low number and limited scope of past studies underlines the need for testing its applicability in a developing country context. Data was collected from 209 matooke consumers from Central Uganda. In general, respondents are relatively neophobic towards the new technology, with an average FTNS score of 58.7%, which hampers the success of processed matooke flour. Besides socio-demographic indicators, ‘risk perception’, ‘healthiness’ and the ‘necessity of technologies’ were key factors that influenced consumer's preference of processed matooke flour. Benchmarking the findings against previous FTNS surveys allows to evaluate factor solutions, compare standardized FTNS scores and further lends support for the multidimensionality of the FTNS. Being the first application in a developing country context, this study provides a case for examining food technology neophobia for processed staple crops in various regions and cultures. Nevertheless, research is needed to replicate this method and evaluate the external validity of our findings.
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    Iodine Agronomic Biofortification of Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) and Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) Is Effective under Farmer Field Conditions
    (Agronomy MDPI, 2019-11-23) Ojok, Joe; Omara, Peter; Opolot, Emmanuel; Odongo, Walter; Olum, Solomon; Gijs, Du Laing; Gellynck, Xavier; De Steur, Hans; Ongeng, Duncan
    Abstract: Iodine (I) is an essential micronutrient, which plays a critical role in human metabolism. However, its concentration is known to be low in most soils, making it deficient in crops. With most I agronomic biofortification studies conducted under controlled environments, limited information currently exists on this approach of enriching I deficient crops under farmer field conditions. Two-year field experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 to examine efficacy of cowpea and cabbage in the uptake of foliar applied potassium iodide (KI) and potassium iodate (KIO3), each with 0, 5, 10, and 15 kg I ha−1 under farmer field conditions. Results indicate that KI was 34% more efficient than KIO3. Iodine concentration increased with application rate. In cabbage, the lowest I concentration (8.2 mg kg−1 ) was registered at 5 kg I ha−1 with KIO3 while the highest was 109.1 mg kg−1 at 15 kg I ha−1 with KI. Cowpea registered the lowest I concentration of 531.5 mg kg−1 at 5 kg I ha−1 with KIO3 while the highest (5854.2 mg kg−1 ) was registered at 15 kg I ha−1 with KI. Therefore, cowpea and cabbage can be effectively biofortified through foliar application of both KI and KIO3 under farmer field conditions.
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    The relationship between market information and entrepreneurial orientation:
    (Agricultural and Food Economics, 2023-03-23) Amuko, Walter; Kalule, Stephen W.; Odongo, Walter
    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of market information on entrepreneurial orientations of smallholder honey producers. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional study design with sample of 250 honey producers was used. Structural equations modeling was used to analyze thehypothesized relationships. Findings: Results show that product quality, trader preferences and consumer preferences are the main market information needs that infuence entrepreneurial orientation of honey producers. Further, the attributes of market information quality, i.e.,information credibility, timeliness, accuracy and usability positively infuence entrepreneurial orientation.Practical implications: Results of this study calls for prioritization of better access to regular, reliable and usable market information for honey producers in development programs and policies so as to enhance farmer entrepreneurial orientations and product development. Social implications: Smallholder honey producers are more likely to efficiently deliver innovative products if development interventions across the public and non-public sector divide become responsive to their marketing information needs as well the quality of market information provided Originality/value: The study uses original data from honey producers to demonstrate the role that marketing information needs as well as market information quality play incatalyzing smallholder farmer entrepreneurial orientation.
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    The relationship between market information and entrepreneurial orientation: the case of smallholder honey producers in Northern Uganda
    (Springer, 2023) Amuko, Walter; Kalule, Stephen W.; Odongo, Walter
    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of market information on entrepreneurial orientations of smallholder honey producers. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional study design with sample of 250 honey producers was used. Structural equations modeling was used to analyze the hypothesized relationships. Findings: Results show that product quality, trader preferences and consumer preferences are the main market information needs that influence entrepreneurial orientation of honey producers. Further, the attributes of market information quality, i.e., information credibility, timeliness, accuracy and usability positively influence entrepreneurial orientation. Practical implications: Results of this study calls for prioritization of better access to regular, reliable and usable market information for honey producers in development programs and policies so as to enhance farmer entrepreneurial orientations and product development. Social implications: Smallholder honey producers are more likely to efficiently deliver innovative products if development interventions across the public and non-public sector divide become responsive to their marketing information needs as well the quality of market information provided. Originality/value: The study uses original data from honey producers to demonstrate the role that marketing information needs as well as market information quality play in catalyzing smallholder farmer entrepreneurial orientation.
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    Where is the market?: Assessing the role of dryer performance and marketability of solar-dried products in acceptance of solar dryers amongst smallholder farmers
    (science Direct, 2023-07-27) Korsuk Kumi, Peter G.; Elolu c, Samuel; Odongo, Walter; Okello, Collins; Kalule, Stephen W.
    Agricultural technological development is a crucial strategy for agricultural commercialization and socio-economic transformation in Africa. However, a key challenge to technology use in agriculture remains the limited farmer acceptance of unfamiliar technologies. This paper uses a sample of 245 okra farmers drawn from northern Uganda to assess the drivers of the farmer acceptance of solar drying technology. On the basis of drying performance, farmers perceive the solar dryer to perform better than the open sun-drying method. Structural equation modelling results show that the drying rate and perceived product quality are the main determinants of farmer perceptions on product marketability. Further, product marketability drives acceptance of solar dryers among farmers. We conclude that acceptance of solar dryers is dependent on: i) the drying rate, ii) favorable perceptions towards product quality, and iii) perceived marketability of the solar-dried product. We call for policy action on intensification of efforts that promote solar drying technology, including supporting local artisans to fabricate dryers, to enable increased value addition and consumption of nutritious foods.