Resource Utilization in Rice Production

Rice growing is dominant in the eastern parts of Uganda. The contribution of farm resources to rice production as well as the returns to resources and their management remains unknown. The book examines land management practices with specific emphasis on crop rotation and bush fallowing and goes further to analyse problems created by dominance of land ownership by men.The book further reveals that family labour is a dominant resource with high returns. The book recommends that production should be directed towards commercialisation of rice though investment in capital by small-scale rice farmers is still limited. Production of rice is characterised by high costs implying that the revenue generated is paid to the variable and fixed inputs, leaving a negative residual to the farmer. Therefore,increasing rice production in the shotrun will generally be achieved by putting more male labour and fertilisers to use. Given that rice production is done under low-input farming systems, interventions such as row planting and use of ox-plough is required. Furthmore, improved provision of credit and education services should be ensured for sustainable rice production.

Jacquiline Kyomuhendo: Msc.ABM Studied Bachelor of Arts Economics and Geography at Makerere University. Lecturer and Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences at Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara. Her area of specialization is Agribusiness management.