Browsing by Author "Obaa, Bernard"

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    Community Perception on Weather Variability in the Lake Victoria Basin, Rwanda and Uganda
    (International Journal of Humanities, Art and Social Studies, 2011) Bigirimana, Celestin; Omujal, Francis; Isubikalu, Prossy; Bizuru, Elias; Obaa, Bernard; Malinga, Michael; Agea, Jacob G.; Okullo, John B. L.
    The study was conducted in districts of Bugesera, Kirehe and Nyamagabe in Rwanda and Buikwe, Busia, Kamuli, Masaka and Namutumba in Uganda to explore community perceptions on weather variability. Household interviews and focus group discussions were conducted to document awareness of traditional ways of weather prediction, local indicators of weather prediction, source of knowledge, effects of weather variability as well as communities’ coping strategies. Traditionally, behavior of birds, insects, moon, clouds, and direction of wind has always been the main indicators of rainfall, drought and flood pattern prediction. The main reported sources of information were parents, elders, friends and experience. Poor crop harvest, pests and diseases, crop wilting and extinction, etc, were effects of weather variability. Coping strategies were tree conservation, irrigation, use of manure and fertilizers, use of insecticide/pesticides and anti-erosion activities, etc. Community knowledge is useful and should be integrated with other conventional methods to predict weather variability.
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    Performance Of Integrated And Single Cooperatives In Bulk Production And Credit Provision To Smallholder Farmers In Uganda
    (Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, 2021) Nimusiima, Mercy; Mugisha, Johnny; Obaa, Bernard; Agaba, Rolland
    Agricultural cooperatives are autonomous associations of individuals formed to augment production, marketing and financial needs of members. In Uganda, performance of cooperatives is largely constrained by weak organizational structures, market failures, and policy weaknesses. An integrated cooperative model (ICM) was introduced to improve performance of cooperatives but the effect of ICM on institutional performance has not been evaluated. This study examined the effect of cooperative integration on bulk production and credit provision to smallholder farmers. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select 40 cooperatives for the study. Primary qualitative and secondary quantitative data were collected from 16 focus group discussions and cooperatives’ performance reports respectively. Data was analyzed using thematic content analysis, t-test and censored tobit regression model to assess performance of the studied cooperatives. The results showed that integrated cooperatives bulk larger proportions of produce and disburse bigger loan proportions than single cooperatives. Tobit model revealed that integration has a positive significant (p< 0.05) influence on cooperatives’ performance in bulk production and providing credit. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that adoption of ICM improves performance of cooperatives and benefits to small holder farmers.