An analysis of competitiveness of lowland and upland rice production systems in Eastern Uganda

Abstract

The paper analyses competiveness of upland and lowland rice production systems in Eastern Uganda. The results show that both systems are generally competitive with lowland rice being slightly more competitive than upland rice. Econometric results show that the most critical factors affecting competitiveness include: education, extension contact and farm size. The results therefore suggest that efforts to promote education (informal and formal), increasing frequency of extension contact and farm size will improve competiveness of both rice systems. Encouraging farmers to adopt available productivity enhancing technologies will increase productivity without encouraging them to encroaching on already degraded wetlands.