Assessing factors affecting marketability of sunflower :

Abstract

Sunflower is a key income source for smallholder farmers in Uganda and ranks among the four most important oilseeds globally (Auman et al., 2020). Despite rising production, marketability remains a significant challenge, as shown by low farm gate prices that hinder profitability. Farmers often face exploitation from intermediaries who gain substantial profits within the sunflower value chain (Larsson, 2018). This situation underscores the need to examine the factors influencing sunflower marketability in Alwa County, Kaberamaido District, and eastern Uganda. The primary objective of this study is to assess sunflower marketability, with specific objectives focused on understanding the various elements impacting this process. To characterize sunflower farmers, to identify factors that affects marketability of sunflower, to identify barriers involved in the marketing of sunflower and 100 farmers were randomly selected from study area and data was subjected to descriptive statistic and regression analysis using IMB SPSS (version 20).The descriptive study revealed that majority of respondents 62%were practicing farming and had no other off farm job, most of them were female 62% of the gender and also 64% of respondents were married couples. The descriptive statistic shows that 37% price fluctuation, 21% middle men and 20% poor infrastructure was the major barrier that affects the marketability of sunflower. The chi-square test results indicate a statistically significant positive relationship between education level (p = 0.003), marital status (p = 0.000), and land acquisition (p = 0.004) with the marketability of sunflower. Additionally, the regression analysis showed that market information (p = 0.023) and price (p = 0.046) also have a statistically significant positive relationship with sunflower marketability. In contrast, while extension services (p = 0.043) had a negative coefficient, it remains significant in its impact on marketability. Therefore, it is recommended that government efforts to enhance agricultural mechanization and improve productivity should be strengthened through public-private partnerships to more effectively reach smallholder farmers.