Abstract:
Low productivity is a major challenge facing agriculture in Uganda. CIMMYT agricultural is
pioneering for effective and efficient as well as dissemination of improved agricultural
technologies in form of seed varieties as one of the numerous ways in increasing yield. An
analysis of the determinants of cultivated farm size among smallholder farmers in Soroti and
Nakasongola districts fills in the gap between technological adoption and increased
productivity. Primary data was captured in 2008 on a total of 156 households; 75 from
Nakasongola and 81 from Soroti. Complementary secondary data came from various
government departments and non-governmental organisations. Specifically, the study
compares the two districts' dynamics in land distribution, utilisation and cropping patterns as
well as the main type of non-seed input intake. Cultivated farmland is on average 5Ha per
household. Soroti exhibits less hectares per household with respect to Nakasongola and
practices crop cultivation a lot more than livestock rearing. Additionally, agro-ecological
differences account for less livestock rearing in Soroti. The dynamics in cultivated land in
both districts showed that households are demanding more land than is being supplied. The
study shows that purchased non-seed inputs were less utilized in both districts.
