Haroon Sseguya | Makerere University (original) (raw)

Papers by Haroon Sseguya

Tapping Philanthropy for Development, Feb 1, 2015

Tapping Philanthropy for Development

In Sub-Saharan Africa, a knowledge void still exists on two contextual questions of university-co... more In Sub-Saharan Africa, a knowledge void still exists on two contextual questions of university-community outreach: 1) how social demographics differences are related to farmer learning behaviour towards student outreach, and 2) how student outreach models compare with public and non-public extension services. A cross-section survey was used to obtain data from a sample of 283 respondents purposively selected from previous hosts of student outreach of Gulu University in Uganda. Results from Kruskal-Wallis method revealed that there were significant differences among host-farmers with respect to farmstead distance to the university for knowledge sharing (?2 (2) = 8.5; P < 0.05) and giving feedback (?2 (2) = 7.6; P < 0.05). Regarding the experience of participating in outreach program, significant differences among host-farmers were found in seeking information (?2 (2) = 12.3; P < 0.01); knowledge sharing (?2 (2) = 10.4; P < 0.01); seeking feedback (?2 (2) = 16.4; P < 0....

Journal of Rural and Development, 2017

Whereas decentralisation has received support as an institutional panacea to natural resource man... more Whereas decentralisation has received support as an institutional panacea to natural resource management, devolution is seen as an effective solution to local collective action in watershed restoration. Despite conducive institutional and policy environment in Uganda, restoration of Awoja watershed has not been successful. This paper analysed the institutional framework that supports restoration of Awoja watershed. The study was carried out in Ngora district, employing mixed methods. Content analysis results indicated weak inter-sectoral linkages between departments, absence of ordinances and by-laws on watershed restoration as partly reasons for failed restoration. Chi square analysis showed a significant relationship between restoration of vegetation cover and management decision making (P=0.000), community-government relations (P=0.000) and benefit sharing (P=0.002) in Awoja watershed. Therefore restoration efforts will not gain their full potential unless the linkages between se...

Agriculture & Food Security

Background Like for other agricultural commodities, the bean value chain involves a series of act... more Background Like for other agricultural commodities, the bean value chain involves a series of actors including; farmers as producers, middlemen, retailers, wholesalers and exporters. The study explains the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) marketing constraints faced by smallholder bean farmers and other actors in the bean value market chain that need redress for efficient and effective bean marketing in Uganda. Specifically, the effect of farmer bean production and marketing modes, and limited knowledge about bean market requirements on the final prices received for their beans and their limited ability to demand better prices is explained by the study. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to collect data from 127 farmers (in strata of trained and non-trained farmers), 34 traders, five input dealers and 40 consumers, using semi structured questionnaires, and interview guides. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using SPSS and content analysis, respectively. Resu...

Sustainable agricultural intensification: a handbook for practitioners in East and Southern Africa

This chapter presents a definition of 'scaling' and outlines the key elements for success... more This chapter presents a definition of 'scaling' and outlines the key elements for success based on the experiences gained from Africa RISING research and dissemination in East and Southern Africa (ESA). Three examples are presented: (a) research and development partnerships; (b) community based scaling through seed systems; and (c) outdoor advertising for orange-fleshed sweet potato. It presents experiences and lessons learned from using these approaches to transfer and scale the technologies.

Journal of Agricultural Research, Development, Extension and Technology, Jun 17, 2021

With vitamin A deficiency enduring as a major public health challenge for developing countries, t... more With vitamin A deficiency enduring as a major public health challenge for developing countries, the need for successful orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) delivery campaigns to fight the deficiency remains relevant. However, despite decades of OFSP delivery efforts in Uganda, OFSP acceptance is still low. This study examined the role of network effect (Metcalfe's Law) on OFSP cultivation behavior among rural households in Uganda using a mixed methods design. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey data of 341 randomly selected farmers drawn from two rural districts in Uganda and an interview with a subsample of 42 farmers. The interviews were analyzed using content analysis where network effect concepts were used as data organizing themes. The study revealed OFSP acceptance to be associated with self-reinforcing socially-oriented factors espoused in network effect tradition. Specifically, mutual observation regarding OFSP agriculture resulted in low OFSP cultivation intensity, thereby making access to vines difficult, slowing experienced gratification of OFSP qualities and the attendant cultivation defections over time. The result has curtailed OFSP acceptance at community level, leading to the conclusion that network effects moderate farmers' decisions to switch from cultivating white-fleshed sweetpotato (WFSP) to OFSP. We recommend the adaption of delivery strategies used in telecommunication innovations in delivery efforts of innovations such as OFSP, in order to nurture self-driven acceptance trajectories of these nutrient rich crops.

Determinants of participation and leadership in food security groups in

Journal of Rural and Community Development, 2013

Local groups are increasingly being promoted as a vehicle for effective involvement of community ... more Local groups are increasingly being promoted as a vehicle for effective involvement of community members in development initiatives in the Global South, with expectations of successful and sustained achievements. Previous studies on participation and leadership in groups yield mixed results, implying that some underlying and contextual factors influence participation dynamics. In this study, using 281 household interviews and discussions with 21 farmers' groups in southeast Uganda, we established that group participation is positively associated with age of household head, household size and proximity to trading and health facilities. Group leadership is positively associated with educational level of household head, land size and non-agricultural sources of income, the latter two indicating wealth of an individual. Implications for development programs and policies include special efforts to support participation of youth as well as dedicating extra efforts to reach remote hous...

This study sought to assess the role of multi-dimensional beliefs in acceptance of orange-fleshed... more This study sought to assess the role of multi-dimensional beliefs in acceptance of orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) as an important food for fighting micronutrient deficiencies among rural households in Uganda. Cross-sectional survey data gathered from 341 randomly selected household heads drawn from two districts were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Post hoc tests indicate that multi-dimensional beliefs (resilience in the field (MD=0.442, p<.05), dry matter content (MD=0.90, p<.05) and control over timely access to labor (MD=0.45, p<.05) significantly enhanced farmers' decisions to try OFSP cultivation. From trial to sustained cultivation, actions of peers (MD=1.57, p<.001); and control over timely access to labor, (MD=0.55, p<.05), availability of OFSP vines (MD=0.88, p<.001) and control over access to other OFSP farmers (MD=0.63, p<.001) revealed to be important variables. The results also suggest that multi-dimensional beliefs (actions of peers, (MD=1.17, p<.001), approval of peers (MD=1.00, p<.001), control over access to OFSP vines (MD=0.67, p<.001) and control over access to other OFSP farmers (MD=0.70, p<.01)), are vital in supporting farmers to maintain their decisions to cultivate OFSP. We conclude that farmers' multi-dimensional beliefs are important in the cultivation of OFSP, and farmers' advancement along each acceptance stage demands for different sets of beliefs. It is recommended that promotion efforts for OFSP and related crop enterprises pay attention to decision-makers' beliefs.

American Journal of Environmental Protection, 2017

Despite the involvement of the local community in Awoja watershed activities, restoration was not... more Despite the involvement of the local community in Awoja watershed activities, restoration was not fully achieved. Studies on community participation in Awoja watershed have focused on its importance with little known on the extent to which they participate, yet the level of community participation determines the success of restoration of watersheds. This study analysed the extent of local community participation in restoration of Awoja watershed of Eastern Uganda. It was conducted in Ngora district and respondents were asked about two restoration sites of FIEFOC and COBWEB. Data were collected from 237 respondents using a questionnaire from April to July 2015. Descriptive analysis and independent t-test were employed to analyze data. Results indicated that overall level of local community participation in Awoja was average with varied patterns in social, economic and environmental participation. Results showed significant differences between level of participation in overall (P=0.034) and environmental (P=0.044) in FIEFOC and COBWEB restoration sites. Community involvement at all project phases should be encouraged to create a sense of ownership and guidance in similar upcoming projects.

Agricultural Economics, 2010

A bivariate probit model was employed to jointly and separately estimate banana market participat... more A bivariate probit model was employed to jointly and separately estimate banana market participation decisions of buying and selling households in Rwanda and Burundi using household survey data. Selectivity bias was corrected for in estimating the transacted volumes using Heckman's procedure. The results showed that transaction cost related factors such as geographical location of households, market information sources, and travel time to the nearest urban centre influence market participation. Non price related factors such as security of land tenure, labor availability, off farm income, gender of the household head and years of farming experience had a significant influence on the transacted volumes. Output prices had a significant effect on sales volume, providing incentives for increased supply by sellers. Generally, the findings suggest that policies aimed at investments in rural road infrastructure, collective marketing and value addition of banana products may provide a potential avenue for mitigating transactions costs and enhancing market participation and production of marketed surplus by rural households.

The use of digital tools has revolutionized agriculture through offering more affordable, efficie... more The use of digital tools has revolutionized agriculture through offering more affordable, efficient and far-reaching coverage with e-extension services. This has drastically improved decision making through informed choices in farming.

Knowledge networks play a significant role in the transfer of innovations such as conservation ag... more Knowledge networks play a significant role in the transfer of innovations such as conservation agriculture. In this paper, we examine the position of actors in the network and socioeconomic factors influencing use of ICTs. ICTs potentially enable information to reach large numbers of farmers. We collected data through 298 household surveys, 29 key informant interviews and five focus group discussions. We used social network analysis for centrality measures. To statistically test the relationship between socioeconomic factors and use of ICTs, we used multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results suggest that gender and land under conservation agriculture (p=<0.05) significantly influence use of radio, TV and mobile phones. Education (p=.024) was more likely to influence use of print media. Age (p>0.05) was not a statistically significant factor. Positions of influence were occupied by extension officers (20%) and farmers (41%). The study recommends the use of ICTs with conventional approaches in CA knowledge networks.

Local groups are increasingly being promoted as vehicles for effective involvement of community m... more Local groups are increasingly being promoted as vehicles for effective involvement of community members in development initiatives in the Global South, with the expectation of successful and sustained achievements. Previous studies on participation and leadership in groups have yielded mixed results, implying a need for more contextualized and validated assessments. In this study, using 281 household interviews and discussions with 21 farmers' groups in southeast Uganda, we established that group participation was positively associated with age of household head, household size, and proximity to trading and health facilities. Group leadership was positively associated with the educational level of the household head, land size, and non-agricultural sources of income: the latter two indicating wealth of an individual. Implications for development programs and policies included special efforts to support the participation of youth, as well as dedicating extra effort to reach remote households and groups. Regarding leadership, groups were recommended to facilitate the taking up of leadership roles by non-educated members; enable youth to benefit from the government policy of Universal Primary Education; and establish measures to avoid elite capture.

Learning Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, and