| dc.description.abstract | Irish potato cultivation is a vital source of livelihood for more than 1000 farmers and their dependents in rural communities of Kabale district. It plays a significant role in contributing to the local economy. However, the yield of Irish potatoes in Uganda remains low at 66%, partly due to a scarcity of improved seed varieties. This study aims to assess the impact of using improved seed varieties on the productivity of Irish potatoes in Kabale district. The specific objectives of the study were to investigate the socioeconomic characteristics of Irish potato farmers using improved seed, to identify the effects of using improved seed varieties on the productivity of Irish potatoes and to determine the factors influencing the adoption of improved seed varieties by Irish potato farmers. Data was collected from 72 randomly selected Irish potato farmers in Kabale district, using a purposive sampling method. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and a multiple binary logistic regression model were employed to analyze the data. The results revealed that Irish potato farmers using improved seed achieved a mean yield of 5326.5, which was higher than the yield of 5244.7 for farmers not using improved seed. However, this difference did not have a significant impact on the productivity of Irish potatoes, as the p-values were larger than 0.000. Consequently, this study concludes that improved seed varieties do not have a substantial impact on the productivity of Irish potatoes in the study area. To improve the productivity of Irish potatoes, the study recommends that the government, through the Ministry of Education and Sports, should encourage more young farmers to pursue education. This will equip farmers with additional knowledge on various farming practices, potentially leading to improved productivity of Irish potatoes. | en_US |
