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Item COMPLIANCE OF GLOBAL GAP STANDARDS AMONG SMALLHOLDER HOT PEPPER FARMERS IN LIRA DISTRICT OF NORTHERN UGANDA(Gulu University, 2024-12-19) NDAYISHIMIYE,GERARDCompliance with food safety standards like Global GAP plays a vital role in farmer’s certification, ensuring that their produce is accepted at the export market which contributes to rural development through increased income. However, Global GAP requires adherence to the set standards, but several smallholder farmers struggle to consistently meet the requirements thus, failing to access lucrative export markets. Understanding why some smallholder farmers fail to comply with such standards is important for export promotion. This study investigated Global GAP awareness, level of compliance and the key factors associated with Global GAP adherence among hot pepper smallholder farmers in Lira district of northern Uganda. Primary data were collected from a random sample of 345 hot pepper farmers using pretested structured questionnaires. Data analysis used descriptive statistics and Tobit regression models. The results on level of awareness of Global GAP standards was very low (8.02%) and significantly influenced by years of formal education, access to market information and extension services. The level of Global GAP compliance was 69.29%. This showed that farmers were doing some of good agricultural practices (GAPs) without knowing Global GAP. Among the factors associated with the level of compliance were awareness, family members in chili farming, market information, credit for farming and extension services all with p-values less than 1%. This study concluded that there was very low level of awareness and compliance to Global GAP standards. It recommends that promoters of agricultural export should emphasize the creation of awareness through accessible common channels like radios and extension agents. Further, there is a need to ease access to agricultural credit to enable smallholder farmers make the necessary investment in the inspection and certification processes.Item DETERMINANTS OF PROFIT EFFICIENCY OF SMALLHOLDER DAIRY PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN GULU CITY AND GULU DISTRICT, UGANDA(Gulu University, 2024-01) OKELLO, OYOO PETERDairy production systems in Uganda are still plagued by yield gaps, post-harvest losses, inadequate coordination, and ineffective marketing strategies. This has resulted in inefficiency and low productivity, even though this sector has been strategically invested in to increase income and food security. The study estimated profit efficiency, characterized dairy production systems, and determined the factors influencing profit efficiency. The maximum likelihood process was used in conjunction with a one-step stochastic profit frontier approach to estimate the profit efficiency and causes of profit inefficiency for 191 smallholder dairy farmers. Results show that the profit efficiency of smallholder dairy production systems is driven by land size, vet cost, costs of feed, cost of equipment, and the cost of labor. Findings further indicate that the inefficiency of smallholder dairy production systems is driven by age, years of experience, family size, gender, marital status, access to extension service, access to credit, group membership, and Friesian breed type. The study thus urges the development of labor-saving technology, the provision of farmers with inexpensive local feed, and the enhancement of extension services. The disparities in profit efficiencies among dairy production systems necessitate bench marking among top performers and intervention tailored to those systems.Item HONEY QUALITY AND QUALITY PERCEPTION BY CONSUMERS ALONG THE VALUE CHAIN IN NORTHERN UGANDA(Gulu University, 2023-04) SYLIVIA, WOORHoney is the most known and vital bee product produced extensively because it possesses numerous benefits. A significant number of honey value chain actors have emerged in Northern Uganda. However, limited information exists on the honey quality at these value chain nodes. It is also unknown how consumers perceive the quality of this honey. The study used experimental design to examine the quality of honey at the different value chain nodes and cross-sectional survey designs to determine the consumers’ perception of honey quality and the honey quality attributes that mainly influence consumers’ purchase decisions. A total of 185 consumers were considered for the survey, and 70 honey samples collected from the different value chain actors across different agro-ecologies in Northern Uganda had their physicochemical properties analyzed. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and laboratory analysis. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25, AMOS version 23, and GEN STAT version 13. The results showed that honey quality deterioration occurred at processor and retailer nodes. Results also showed that honey from Amudat was superior in quality, and diastase number was the only limiting factor to Northern Uganda honey. Labeling, packaging, color, origin, and price significantly influenced consumer perception of honey quality. Purity, viscosity, color, and price also greatly influenced consumer’s purchase decisions. The study concluded that Diastase Number was the major limiting factor to Northern Uganda honey and that processor and retailer nodes are the exact node where quality deterioration occurs. Labeling, packaging, color, and origin positively and significantly influenced consumers’ perception while price had a significant negative influence on consumers’ perception of honey quality. This study recommends mandatory inspections and quality testing at all nodes if the good honey quality is to be maintained.