Increasing Agricultural Production and Productivity among Smallholder Farmers in Uganda through Agricultural Extension

Abstract

Agricultural extension offers an opportunity for increasing production without any significant quantitative increases in the basic factors of production: land, labour and capital. In Uganda, agricultural extension is undergoing major reforms. These reforms include privatization of funding, delivery of extension, and decentralization of authority to lower levels of government, including delegation to NGOs and farmer organizations. Although various governance reform approaches have been adopted to improve agricultural extension service provision, major knowledge gaps remain regarding why desirable results have not been achieved. This article has identified the major challenges affecting delivery of agricultural extension services in Uganda and concludes that agricultural extension in Uganda is still under transition with numerous challenges that require multifaceted approaches to overcome. Keywords: Agricultural extension, Uganda, decentralization of authority