Factors affecting mechanization on maize production in Uganda: a case study of Kimanya/Kyabakuza sub-county, Masaka District, Central Uganda.

Abstract

As the major labor force has shifted from rural areas to cities, labor shortages in agricultural production have resulted. In the context of agricultural mechanization, farmers need to choose effective labor-saving technology such as machinery to substitute for the missing manual labor and boost production. The reasons behind farmers’ low adoption of agricultural mechanization need to be examined. Therefore this study aims at determining the factors that influence mechanization on maize production in Masaka district using a sample of 84 maize farmers. Data was analysed using STATA15 to generate univariate, bivariate and multivariate statistics. The study identified that income status was significantly associated with agricultural mechanization in Kimanya/Kyabakuza subcounty Masaka district at 5% confidence level where farmers with middle(0.042) and low(0.037) income were less likely to engage in mechanization. Access to financial services was also statistically associated with agricultural mechanization in Kimanya/Kyabakuza subcounty Masaka district at 5% confidence level where farmers that did belong to SACCOs (0.027) were more likely to engage in agricultural mechanization. Basing on the study findings, some of the factors influencing access to mechanization would be solved when the government and NGOs consisting of farmers, advisers, researchers, industrialists, and distributors should work collaboratively to implement national mechanization development plans and programs.Inorder to increase access to finance, the government and donors should increase the use of official finance to incentivize rural-focused financial institutions. Additionally, successful maize production requires advanced technology with collaborative government and financial institution support to be sustainable