Returns to spending on agricultural extension: the case of the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) program of Uganda^†

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to assess the direct and indirect impacts of the agricultural extension system of Uganda, the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) program, on household agricultural income. Data from two rounds of surveys of Ugandan rural farm-households conducted in 2004 and 2007, as well as different program evaluation methods and model specifications, are used to estimate impacts and compute a rate of return. The direct and indirect impact of the program is estimated at 37-95% and 27-55% increase in per capita agricultural gross revenue between 2004 and 2007 for households participating directly and indirectly in the program, respectively, compared to nonparticipants. The rate of return on the program's expenditures is estimated at 8-49%. The program has been relatively more effective among male-headed, larger, and asset-poor households, as well as those taking up noncrop high-value enterprises and living further away from financial services, all-weather roads, and markets or located in the Eastern and Northern Regions. Policy implications of the results are drawn.JEL classifications: C23, H43, Q16

THE EFFECT OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE ON THE TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF TEFF (<i>ERAGROSTISTEF</i>) PRODUCERS

“…This, in turn, leads to inequality in service provision, typically to the poor. Membership in farmers' organization has positive significance for the probability of participation in the extension program as expected and consistent with past findings (Benin et al, 2011;Abebaw and Haile, 2013).…”

“…Hence we used number of oxen days to characterize each farmer's commitment to farming and such kind of farmers might have high probability of participation in the extension program. Membership in cooperatives can also influence participation positively due to either extension workers might find it cheaper to target farmers group which helps them maximize the payoffs from efforts to build farmers capacity to demand advisory service (Benin et al, 2011;Cunguara and Moder, 2011) or membership in a social group provides opportunities to discuss and observe practices of other members at no cost or time intensity (Gebregziabher et al, 2011). Moreover, involvement in kebele administration could influence participation positively as follows: One kebele consists of four to seven villages.…”

Effect of Agricultural Extension Program on Smallholders’ Farm Productivity: Evidence from Three Peasant Associations in the Highlands of Ethiopia

“…Membership in farmers' organizations can influence participation positively due to either extension workers might find it cheaper to target farmers group which helps them maximize the payoffs from efforts to build farmers capacity to demand advisory service (Benin et al, 2011;Cunguara & Moder, 2011) or membership in a social group provides opportunities to discuss and observe practices of other members at no cost or time intensity (Gebreegziabher, Mathijs, Maertens, Deckers, & Bauer, 2011).…”

Effects of training, innovation and new technology on African smallholder farmers’ economic outcomes and food security

“…Within these, three programmes made use of a farmer field school approach in Kenya (Waarts et al 2012), Tanzania and Uganda (Davis et al 2011); one applied an agricultural extension approach (Benin et al 2011); and the other provided agricultural guidebooks to farmers (Kijima 2014). We measured income outcomes as the revenue farmers would have gained through their increased harvests.…”