Understanding dynamism of land ownership, use and patterns of allocation for the locals before inviting foreign investors: the Ugandan case

Type Working Paper
Title Understanding dynamism of land ownership, use and patterns of allocation for the locals before inviting foreign investors: the Ugandan case
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year)
URL https://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/resources/download/6775.pdf
Abstract
Although Uganda has been attracting foreign direct investment on land, queries’ has been raised
on the implications of such efforts to existing challenges related to land tenure, ownership and
smallholding.    While the existing challenges have been associated with declining agricultural
sector performance, little is known on the dynamism of land holding, crops’ allocations and
drivers of change.   Using Uganda National Household Survey (UNHS) 2005/6 and 2009/10 data
collected by UBoS across the country, we examine dynamism on landholding, cropping patterns
and land allocations to various major crops by farming households.  Fractional multinomial logit
model was used to estimates determinants of households’ land allocation to various major
crops. Smallholding was observed to constraints agricultural production with 54 and 41 percent
of households resulting to using land they lacked ownership rights on in 2005 and 2009
respectively.  Result has also shown that cultivation of land without ownership rights has been
on decrease from 29 to 7 percent in 2005 and 2009 respectively. Across subregions, households
in Central 1, Eastern and Western were by 2009 cultivating more than a fifth of the total land
which they lacked ownership rights.  Although a slight increase (0.001ha) in land ownership was
observed between 2005 and 2009, cultivated area declined by 0.004ha. On average households
were cultivating 1.7 ha and had ownership rights to 1.5 ha by 2009. Households cultivate a
number of crops with each being allocated small proportion of land.  Although cropping patterns
has remained the same, sweet potatoes was allocated larger proportions of land as cultivated
land declined.  Significant factors that affected proportional of land allocated to various crops
included sub-regional dummies, access to infrastructure, households’ stock of education and
cultivated area. It is recommended that the government should intervene in guiding land
ownership process that ensures households access land sizes that guarantee economic viable
agricultural production.

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