Economic benefits of sugarcane and rice growing in wetlands :

Abstract

The study assessed the economic benefits of sugarcane and rice growing in Namasagali sub county, Kamuli district. The study was cross sectional where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to collect data following a multistage sampling technique using questionnaire based interviews. The research findings indicate that the majority of the respondents ate involved in farming in both rice and sugarcane growing respectively because the wetland is government owned and sometimes crop seedlings are free of charge. Findings also indicate that farmers have started growing sugarcane other than other foods because they have seen that is a viable business. Findings also indicate that most of the respondents benefited from sugarcane growing such as building of houses, educating of their children, buying of bicycles, motorcycles and cars among others. Findings indicate that shs. 309,873.66 was the average gross income earned per farmer in the study area and it implies that the enterprises where viable. Furthermore, findings showed that the most difficult challenges were capital whereby it was limited and thus they couldn't fulfil their needs like buying of more lands lack of collateral security to get loans to expand their production among others. Conclusions were made that 48% of the respondents have never been supported and 32% needed seeds in order to improve your farm output. Recommendations were made that the government should sensitize the farmers on the best farming practices in order to produce maximum output for more sustainability and adequate food security and also should ensure that the services offered by the agricultural associations reach the people in the remote rural areas of Namasagali sub county by having representatives from such areas.