Factors influencing farmers’ engagement in banana juice production in Nakaseke district

Abstract

The study was carried out to investigate the factors influencing farmers’ engagement in banana juice production in Nakaseke district. The specific objectives were to analyse the socio-economic characteristics of banana juice producers, determine factors influencing production of banana juice and to examine the constraints that farmers face in the production of banana juice. Primary data were collected from 60 randomly selected respondents, using semi structured questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis, using the SPSS program. The findings showed that most of the respondents (65%) were married, with average age of 49.3 years and 60% of the respondents were male. The study results indicate that the factors influencing farmers’ engagement in banana juice production included quantity of bananas for juice production produced (kgs) and size of land under banana (acres). The study also revealed that the constraints farmers face in banana juice production are seasonal banana supply fluctuations, limited credit, lack of processing equipment, lack of fertilizers, poor storage facilities and high prices for brewing bananas from middle men. The main recommendations from the study are encouraging farmers to create SACCOs to ease access to credit at low costs and providing extension services such as genetically modified banana cultivars, loans and services to farmers to increase banana juice production.