The Future of Smallholder Farming in Eastern Africa - Uganda ...

4.1.5 Household income
The average annual income level for the household was estimated at Kshs. 33,000 with the
minimum and maximum being Kshs. 3,000 and over 200,000 respectively. However, up
to 80 percent of the households had no more than Kshs. 30,000 per annum and the mode
was Kshs. 15,000 thus showing the level of skewness of the income.
4.1.6 Gender
Most household heads were men. In Suba district, 81 percent of the households were
headed by men as compared to 76 percent in Laikipia. However, the majority of land users
in Suba (60 percent) were women. In Suba, most men undertake non-farm activities or
work in urban areas thereby leaving women to undertake farming. In Laikipia, farming is
taken as a business and is regarded by men as a paying occupation and thus the majority
are farmers.
4.1.7 Access to Market
The average distance to the input and product market was estimated at 3.5 and 122 km for
the nearest urban market. 28 percent of farmers lived within 2 km radius of the market.
Road conditions were generally poor, affecting agricultural production and development.
66 percent of the farmers considered their roads to the market as impassable, constraining
access to the markets during the rainy season. Consequently, commodity prices were low
due to inaccessibility to markets and exploitation by middlemen. This was particularly
serious in Laikipia where maize prices plunged to Kshs. 400 per bag within a short period.
4.1.8 Labour
Most (58 percent) farmers have sufficient family labour (Figure 9), while most indicated
availability of adequate hired labour (Figure 10). This is contrary to initial assumption that
farmers face labour constraints, especially during weeding and harvesting.
Figure 9: Household Labour Constraints
11.00 / 3.5%
Yes
118.00 / 38.1%
No
181.00 / 58.4%