Maize growing on income of rural farmers in Uganda:

Abstract

The study was set to investigate the effect of maize growing and Farmer's income among rural Farmers of Nyamahasa Sub County, Kiryandongo District Uganda. The study was based on the following three objectives; the level of maize growing, the relationship between maize growing and Farmers income, challenges faced by rural Farmers in maize growing and its solutions among Farmers of Nyamahaea Sub County, Kiryandongo District. A sample of 120 respondents both females and males Farmers of Nyamahasa Sub County, Kiryandongo District were selected for the study. The study employed a cross-sectional research design and methodology used was both qualitative and quantitative. Questionnaires and documentary review were the major tools of data collection. The main purpose of the research was to establish the effect of maize growing on income of rural Farmers in Nyamahasa Sub County, Kiryandongo District, Uganda and the results showed that, farmers in Nyamahasa Sub county, Kiryandongo District grow maize on large scale and sell them at a lower price, and they grow maize and sale them at any price in the market. This is more so during large harvest. It was also found that, farmers in Nyamahasa Sub County, their income from maize growing is not sufficient to meet the basic needs of the family. This is as a result of low price of maize sold generating little income that are not sufficient enough to sustain the family. Farmers harvest their maize and they do not have well-constructed storage facilities to keep them for sale and they do not have proper weighing scale for measuring maize in kilograms. This makes them to be cheated by buyers during sales. Farmers in Nyamahasa Sub County do not have ready market after harvesting their maize. This makes them at low price. Farmers produce high quality maize that command high price in the market, because of price fluctuations they end earning low price. The study recommended that, government should extend extension workers nearer to farmers, so that they continue teaching and guiding farmers on post-harvest handling issues and sales processes. The government should provide maize processing machines so as farmers add value on maize that command high price in the world market.