Sugarcane growing and household food security: a case study of Mafubira sub- county: Jinja district.

Abstract

The major purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between sugarcane growing and household food security in Mafubira Sub-county, Jinja District. The study was guided by three objectives namely: to establish the effect of land allocation to sugarcane growing on household food security, to find out the expenditure of income from sugarcane growing with regard to household food security and to examine the challenges associated with sugarcane growing in relation to household food security. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population was heads of sugarcane growing households and Village Chairpersons of sugarcane out growers association. The study relied mostly on primary data that was collected using questionnaires, interview guide, focus group discussion guide and observation guide. The study generated both qualitative and quantitative data. The quantitative data was analysed by tabulating and computing percentages while qualitative data was analysed by coding and establishing common themes that emerged in the process of interacting with participants. The findings show that sugarcane farmers owning land less than ten acres are more vulnerable to food insecurity. The findings also show that sugarcane growing plays an important role in the livelihood of farmers as it generates income used to purchase food, acquire more land, pay school fees for children, access to better health care, construction of decent homesteads and access to agricultural loans. The study further established that sugarcane growing contributes to environmental degradation through encroachment on marginal land and increased soil exhaustion due to mono culture. From the findings the study concluded that sugarcane growing had a negative effect on household food security among people in Mafubira Sub-county. This is because much of the land had been taken up by sugarcane growing leaving small plots for food crops. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that there is need to pass an ordinance to encourage people owning land less than five acres to practice mixed farming crop diversification and using modern scientific methods of farming.