Actions and perceived impact of African swine fever control measures along the smallholder pig value chain in Uganda.

Pig production in Uganda is constrained by African swine fever (ASF) which is endemic in the country. Current measures taken by the Government of Uganda in controlling ASF outbreaks include trade and livestock movement restrictions, called "quarantine." Little is known about the actions of, and impact of value chain actors in response to ASF quarantines. This study describes actions that different stakeholders in the smallholder pig value chain took, and the perceived economic impact, during ASF quarantines. Data was collected in ten focus group discussions (FGD) using participatory epidemiology tools and two key informants' (KIs) interviews with District Veterinary Officers (DVOs) of Kisoro and Moyo districts in Uganda. The results show that during ASF quarantine, pig value chain actors shifted their activities from formal places such as livestock markets, slaughter slabs, pork butcheries and pork joints to informal places such as farmers' homesteads. Farmers were perceived the most economically affected stakeholder group with forgone income due to unsold pigs, costs for implementing biosecurity measures and extra costs for feeding unsold pigs being the major perceived causes of the losses. The continued trade in pigs and pig products in informal marketplaces suggests that quarantine might not be effective for hindering activities that might spread ASF in these settings. The perceived economic losses provide an insight into the negative economic impact of the quarantine for the different stakeholders.

Household food security, child dietary diversity and coping strategies among rural households. The case of Kole District in northern Uganda.

Household food security, feeding practices, dietary diversity and coping strategies to household food insecurity are largely interconnected. Using a cross sectional study approach involving 162 mothers and care givers of children 0-36 months of age in Kole district of northern Uganda, this study examined the household food security status, child dietary diversity and household coping strategies. The study revealed that a slight majority of the households (55%) were food secure although with a low level of child dietary diversity experienced (68.1% for children 6-23 months age group and 55.3% for 24-36 months age group). We found that starch-based foods derived from cereals, roots and tubers were the most predominantly used food group in child feeding (82%), with limited consumption of other essential food groups, notably fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products (18% combined). Additionally, only 57% of children 0 to 6 months old were receiving exclusive breastfeeding, and the introduction of complementary foods is often delayed and not well planned for those above 6 months of age. Results also showed that a wide range of coping strategies are employed however the major ones were, reliance on less preferred food (54.9%), limiting portions of meals (35.2%), reducing number of meals taken in a day (29%), and gathering wild fruits and harvesting immature crops (29.6%). It was observed that household food security is a strong determinant of child dietary diversity, may influence feeding practices and the range of coping strategies applicable to households when they experience food insecurity. Furthermore, nutritional education, household size and livelihood diversity play a significant role in determining household food security status, child dietary diversity and coping with food insecurity within rural households. In conclusion, addressing household food security, and coping strategies can play an important role in improving child feeding practices and dietary diversity in rural communities.

Drivers of household demand for cooking energy: A case of Central Uganda.

In Uganda, the total primary household energy consumption is mainly biomass. Lack of empirical information remains a daunting challenge to operationalization of strategies and policies aimed at reducing unsustainable energy use. This study specifically determined household demand for different cooking energy sources (briquettes, charcoal and firewood). Data were collected from a sample of 235 households with the help of pretested structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR). From the econometric analysis, results revealed that briquettes demand was significantly influenced by fuel expenditure, briquette price, gender of household head, main occupation and source of fuel. Further, charcoal demand was influenced by fuel expenditure, household size, charcoal price, district and fuel restriction. On the other hand, demand for firewood was influenced by household income, firewood price, fuel expenditure, household size and source of the fuel. From our findings, it is recommended that tailored trainings on sustainable exploitation of biomass resources for energy supply should be conducted across the country. In addition, there is need for such trainings to target women, who are the decision makers with respect to household energy supply. Lastly the study recommends the need for low-cost briquetting technologies that would reduce its price to levels that are competitive to charcoal and firewood.

Alone or a combination: Ascertaining factors associated with choice of pig health management strategies amongst smallholder farmers in northern Uganda.

Pig production is an important farm enterprise for an increasing number of smallholder farmers due to its potential for improving household incomes. The sector is however faced with high burden of health issues that limit most farmers from realizing the benefits. In order to improve management of pig health for smallholder farmers, an understanding of the major health issues and factors associated with farmers' choice of the pig health management strategies are paramount. Using a cross-sectional survey of 240 smallholder pig farmers in northern Uganda, this study assessed the factors associated with the use of different pig health management practices adopted by smallholder pig farmers. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and two different regression models. Binary Probit Regression model was used to assess factors associated with the use of a single pig health management strategy, while, Generalized Poisson Regression model was used to assess the factors associated with the number of pig health management strategies used by the farmers. Results showed that the common health issues were African Swine Fever, lice, worms and mange, while the common strategies for health management involved self-administering antibiotics, consulting veterinarians, deworming, spraying with acaricides, selling the sick pigs, treatment with local herbs, and burying dead pigs. These pig health management strategies were influenced by farmers location, experience, age, access to extension, use of information and communication technologies, and use of processed feeds. This study recommends improving farmers' access to relevant information and expanding veterinary extension services by promoting the use of radio and mobile phones in pig health management.

Non-attitudinal and non-knowledge based factors constrain households from translating good nutritional knowledge and attitude to achieve the WHO recommended minimum intake level for fruits and vegetables in a developing country setting: evidence from Gulu district, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: The high level of incidence of mortality attributed to non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension being experienced in developing countries requires concerted effort on investment in strategies that can reduce the risks of development of such diseases. Fruits and vegetables (FV) contain natural bioactive compounds, and if consumed at or above 400 g per day (RDMIL) as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) is believed to contribute to reduced risk of development of such diseases. The objective of this study was to determine in a developing country set-up, the extent to which rural and urban households conform to RDMIL, the status of nutritional attitude (NA) and knowledge (NK) associated with consumption of FV, and to delineate non-attitudinal and non-knowledge-based factors (NANK) that hinder achievement of RDMIL. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey of 400 randomly selected households and 16 focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted using Gulu district of Uganda as a microcosm for a developing country setting. Level of consumption of FV was assessed using 24-h dietary recall and compared to RDMIL as a fraction (%). The status of NK and NA were determined using sets of closed-ended questions anchored on a three-point Likert scale. Further quantitative statistical analyses were conducted using t-test, chi-square, Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression. FGD provided data on NANK factors and were analysed using qualitative content analysis procedure. RESULTS: Urban and rural inhabitants met up to 72.0 and 62.4% of the RMDIL, respectively, with absolute intake being higher among urban than rural households by 37.54 g. NK and NA were good but the intensity of NK was higher among urban respondents by 11%. RDMIL was positively correlated with NA while socio-demographic predictors of RDMIL varied with household location. FGD revealed that primary agricultural production constraints, market limitations, postharvest management limitations, health concerns, social discomfort and environmental policy restrictions were the major NANK factors that hindered achievement of the RDMIL. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that NANK factors constrain households from translating good NA and NK to achieve the RMDIL.

Access to veterinary services and expenditure on pig health management: the case of smallholder pig farmers in Northern Uganda.

Pig farming has gained momentum for most smallholder farmers in developing countries as a means of livelihood and household incomes. However, prospects of the pig enterprises are constrained by pig health management issues which affect both its productivity and profitability. Using a cross-sectional survey of 240 smallholder pig farmers, we assessed factors influencing farmers' access to veterinary services and expenditure on pig health management in northern Uganda. Data was analysed using the binary logit and censored tobit regression models. Access to veterinary services was significantly influenced by pig herd size (p < 0.05), Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) membership (p < 0.1), breed (p < 0.05), production system (p < 0.05) and number of health issues recorded on farm (p < 0.01). Education level (p < 0.01), farming household members (p < 0.05), pig herd size (p < 0.01), breed (p < 0.05), previous disease incidences (p < 0.05), household labour available (p < 0.1) and access to veterinary services (p < 0.01) significantly influenced pig health expenditure. Efforts to improve access to veterinary services and improve pig health management should focus on promoting more intensive production systems and improved breeds that are associated with better access to veterinary services and reduced cost of pig health management.