Determinants of Farmer Participation in Agro Pastoral Field Schools: A case study of Moroto District in Uganda

This study investigated the determinants of farmer participation in Agro Pastoral Field Schools (APFS) in Moroto District, Uganda. Structured paper aided questionnaires were used to collect data from 220 respondents and a multistage sampling technique was applied. Descriptive statistics as well as quantitative analyses were performed using the Pearson chi-square test and the binary probit regression model. Majority of the respondents were female, married, unemployed and lacked formal education. The major reasons for not participating in APFS programs were lack of knowledge about the existence of APFS groups and too much responsibilities which prevented one from joining. Training attended by the farmer was found to be statistically significant using the Pearson chi-square test while the results of the binary probit regression model revealed that a farmer’s age was positively associated with the decision to participate in APFS groups. The level of education and marital status of the farmer were found to be statistically insignificant due to the fact that majority of the farmers in Karamoja have no formal education and are either married or in a domestic partnership. The gender of the farmer was also insignificant which implies that the APFS programs are equally accessible to both men and women in Moroto District.