Browsing by Author "Auku, Lawrence"

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    Determinants of market information access and use among smallholder cocoa farmers of Bulidah and Nankoma sub-counties in Bugiri district.
    (Busitema University, 2026) Auku, Lawrence
    This study determined the determinants of market information access and use among smallholder cocoa farmers in Bugiri District, Uganda. Specifically, the study was guided by three objectives: assessing the types of market information accessed and used by smallholder cocoa farmers; establishing factors that influence farmers’ access to market information; and identifying factors that affect farmers' utilization of market information. The study used a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional survey design. The target population was farmers in Bulidha and Nakoma Sub-counties. A total of 120 respondents selected through random sampling were used for the study. Face-to-face structured questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from the respondents. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis were performed using SPSS. The results revealed that only 32.7% of the respondents had access to cocoa market information. Price information (78.4%) and quality information (45.9%) were the most accessed and used types of market information. Traders (91.1%) and fellow farmers (88.9%) were the most accessed information channels, compared to mobile phone/SMS (15.6%). The binary logistic regression analysis revealed that household size (β =1.435, p = 0.011) increased the likelihood of accessing market information, while cocoa farming experience (β=-0.64, p=0.001) had a significant negative relationship with accessing market information. Of those who accessed market information, 91.5% utilized the information for negotiation of prices (93.3%) and selection of sales channels (91.1%). The study concluded that the major constraint faced by smallholder cocoa farmers in the study area is information access and not utilization. The study recommends that there is a need to scale up localized market information services and mobile technology such as SMS for effective delivery of market information to smallholder farmers. Increasing access to credit and mobilization through farmer groups can also help increase market information access and use by farmers.