Assessing the impact of rice growing on people's livelihood :

Abstract

People have continuously under estimated the impact of rice growing on their livelihood this is attributed to the fact that most people only consider the worthiness of rice growing by rice yields ignoring the activities associated with rice growing and can affect people’s livelihood for example, Continuous flooding of rice plants through precipitation and irrigation leads to high water consumption, and eventually to pronounced water scarcity in water scarce areas (Van Dis et al, 2015), The study was carried out in bwiiza, kasozi, kisaikye and Namasagali parishes of Namasagali Sub county of Kamuli district. The aim of the study was to generate information on the impact of rice growing on people’s livelihood in Namasagali sub county. This was important in suggesting ways to appreciate rice growing so as to ensure that people grow rice extensively with in the lowlands and uplands using environmentally friendly technologies. This was done by finding out the benefits people get from rice growing, problems people face during rice growing, the costs of rice growing to the people plus environment and the possible measures undertaken to solve the problems faced during growing as well as costs that have come up as result of rice growing. Data was collected using two methods that is; interviewing and questionnaire. Systematic random sampling technique was used to come up with a sample of 60 respondents. Data collected was analyzed using Microsoft excel 2010 and results were presented by use of pie charts, frequency tables, line graphs and bar graphs. The study revealed that men mainly the youth were more involved in rice growing than women and rice growing is carried out for commercial purpose. The study also found out that ripe growing has increased income and improved standards of living of rice growers and rice growing has greatly led to climate change, loss of bio diversity and wetland degradation. It is recommended from the study that farmers should transfer from paddy rice growing to upland rice varieties with special focus on NERICA 4 and NERICA 3 that have the ability yielding than other rice varieties, this will make fanners to continually harness the benefits accruing from the wetlands such as raw material for making mats, animal watering and grazing, fire wood and reduce on loss of wetland animals, grass and trees. Farmers should organize themselves into groups such that they are, able to devise means how to strengthen their production ability and bargaining power on market. Also government and non-government organizations should advocate and sensitize farmers about better rice production technologies that are environmentally friendly, better rice seed varieties, importance of growing rice, how best to overcome problems faced during rice growing as well as effects or costs that come up as result of rice growing.