Effects of sugarcane farming on household food insecurity in Namwiwa sub-county Kaliro district
Abstract
The study was conducted to assess the effects of sugarcane farming on food insecurity on the people of Namwiwa sub-county, Kaliro district. Data was collected using questionnaires and field observations. The results show that farmers who grew sugarcane had on average 2.6 months of food shortage compared to 1.9 months among those who did not grow sugarcanes. The consumption of vitamins and oils by the sugarcane growing households was lower than for the non-growing households. There was no significant difference in the consumption of both carbohydrates and proteins in the two household categories because the two food groups were almost consumed in every household in the study area. Conclusively, food access was found to be relatively lower amongst the sugarcane growing households compared to the non-sugarcane growing households.