Adoption of Chemical Fertilizers in Coffee Production in Kikyenkye Sub-County, Ibanda District

Abstract

This study focused on assessing the adoption of chemical fertilizers in coffee production in Kikyenkye Sub-County, Ibanda District. It was conducted from January to April, 2023 in Kikyenkye Sub-county, Ibanda district. It was limited to; (i) investigating the perceptions and attitudes of farmers on application of chemical fertilizers in coffee, (ii) determining the level of awareness of chemical fertilizer use in coffee production, (iii) investigating farm-based factors that determine farmers’ choice to use chemical fertilizers in coffee production and, (iv) establishing possible strategies of promoting adoption of chemical fertilizers in coffee production. Despite government’s efforts to increase coffee yield through advocacy to use chemical fertilizers, its adoption by coffee farmers remained very low causing declining coffee yields and subsequently reduced household income for small-holder rural farmers in the study area. The study employed a cross-sectional, descriptive research design and primary data was collected from 124 coffee farmers and 27 informants using questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions. Data collected was subjected to SPSS software version26.0 for analysis. The study found out that there is positive and significant perception and attitude of farmers on application of chemical fertilizers (P<0.05). Chemical fertilizer use ensures high productivity and bean quality of coffee. Chemical fertilizers are basically used on commercial crops like tea and coffee. The decisions on chemical fertilizer use is significantly based on access to information and market prices (P<0.05). It was further found out that farmers who had access to training services on the methods of application and easy access to the source of chemical fertilizers had significantly high level of awareness on the use of chemical fertilizers in coffee production (P<0.05). The study also found out that small plots of land under coffee production and land fragmentation significantly influenced farmers’ decisions to use chemical fertilizers in coffee (P<0.05). It was established that providing constant training and stabilizing prices for both agricultural inputs and crop outputs could lead to enhanced use of chemical fertilizers in coffee significantly (P<0.05). These could be used as strategies to promote chemical fertilizer use in coffee production. The study finally concluded that farmers’ perceptions and attitudes, level of awareness and farm-based factors significantly affect farmers’ adoption of chemical fertilizers in coffee production. The study recommends that there is a need for regular, practical and demonstration-based farmers’ training, policymakers to consider development of policies that promote accessibility and sustainable use of chemical fertilizers, there is need to support farmers to increase the scale of coffee production to make it more profitable with use of chemical fertilizers and the need to reduce the cost of chemical fertilizers through subsidies.