Agriculture development in the coffee-banana zone of Uganda: a linear programming approach.
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Date
1971
Authors
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, University of East Africa, Department of Agriculture, 1971.
The thesis is concerned with aspect of the agricultural development problem in the main robusta coffee growing area of Southern Uganda, an area of small holding agriculture which has been termed the coffee banana zone. Part One of the thesis examines the physical parameters of the zone and also the economic social, technical and institutional setting of its agricultural development problems. The second part considers details of data collection and planning methodology as well as presenting the results of the planning exercises and their policy implications for research extension and agricultural development planning. The basis of the zonal development problems (Chapter 3 and 9) is identified as the need to achieve immediate increases in agricultural production in order to facilitate the realization of longer term national aspirations involving the diversification of the general economy. The initially rapid development of the agricultural sector of the zonal economy is described in chapter 4. Cotton was introduced at the beginning of the century and first this crop and later Robusta coffee was integrated into the small holding economy. Coffee prices began to decline in the mid 1950s, but production has continued to increase. Another aspect of the problem concerns the effects of urbanization and rapid population growth, together with the slow growth of non-agricultural employment opportunities. The development of agriculture will almost certainly occur within the existing framework of small holding agriculture (Chapter 7 and 11). Chapter 5 describes the main characteristics of this type of farming illustrating the description of with empirical data gathered during the field survey and from the results of the 1963 national agricultural census. The structure of the government services connected with agriculture and the major improvement approaches which they are pursuing are discussed in Chapter 7 and an evaluation of technical economic research strategy is contained in Chapter 6. Current approaches to agricultural development planning are analysed in chapter 9. These approaches tend to be based on general improvement policies concerning better a husbandry and higher fields derived without any formal reference to relative costs and returns in either private or social terms. By analyzing the differences between the two equilibrium supply positions, policies which can stimulate the desired resources allocation can be evolved (Chapter 10). The phasing of such changes could be aided by utilizing of such changes could be aided by utilizing a multi period planning model of the type described in chapters 11 and 12. While retaining reservations about the details of the planning approach, the models reveal a current misallocation of resources (Chapter 10 and 13). Economically desirable policy adjustments indicated by the planning models and their implications for research and extension orientation are discussed and further investigations suggested.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS WRE TD365.J67)
Keywords
Agriculture, Economic aspects, Mathematical models, Uganda
Citation
Hall, M. (1971). Agriculture development in the coffee-banana zone of Uganda: a linear programming approach. Phd dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Available at (http://41.86.178.3/internetserver3.1.2/detail.aspx?parentpriref=)