Participatory Evaluation of the Adoption of Bio Fortified Bean Varieties in Sheema and Ntungamo Districts, Western Uganda

Abstract

The study focused on assessing participatory evaluation on the adoption of fortified bean varieties in Sheema and Ntungamo Districts. It was restricted to; determining the social economic factors that influence adoption of bio-fortified bean varieties, establishing farmers’ perception of the selected characteristics of bio-fortified bean varieties and establishing the extent to which the interventions put in place have reached in motivating farmers to adopt biofortified bean varieties. The study employed a cross-sectional, descriptive research design and primary data was collected from 214 respondents. 193 were bean farmers randomly selected and 21 key informants were purposively selected. The study findings established the following social economic factors significantly affected the adoption of biofortified bean varieties; access to credit P=0.00 and SD= 0.00, market access P=0.00 and SD=0.02892, household size P=0.00 and SD= 0.14047, access to extension P=0.00 and SD= 0.19475, gender P=0.00 and SD= 0.30575, education level P=00 and SD=0.31439, farmers perception P=0.00 and SD=0.34305, farm size P=0.00 and SD=0.34837, farmers income P=0.39167 and farmers age was not significant since P=0.997 was greater than P=0.05 hence such factors which are significant should be put into consideration in design of any related project or programme so that malnutrition is minimized using these biofortified bean varieties. The study established that most farmers 108 (50.5%) were still growing local bean varieties since they perceived biofortified bean varieties to require additional inputs especially fertilizers and pesticides and these forced even those growing to abandon them.