Influence of university entrepreneurship training on farmers’ competences for improved productivity and market access in Uganda

Abstract

Entrepreneurial and organizational competences among farmers are critical in improving farmers’ productivity and market access for sustainable agricultural development through enhanced household food and income security. Universities are among the institutions with the responsibility to build up these competences. Universities are criticized though for focusing on academic and research roles with minimal impact on communities. Makerere University, Kampala, in response piloted a farmer entrepreneurship training project in a bid to effectively contribute to social transformation. The study assessed the influence of the training on smallholder farmers’ competences, productivity and organizational capacity. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires and focus group discussions with 184 farmers in the project and non-project farmers in northern Uganda. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using SPSS computer package and thematic content analysis, respectively. A multiple regression analysis using the ordinary least square was used to capture the combined influence of entrepreneurship training and other socioeconomic variables on the farmers’ productivity. Our study findings show that the training had positively influenced farmers’ entrepreneurial and organizational competences. Farmers acquired improved agronomic practices, business planning, value addition and packaging, branding and marketing knowledge and skills. Group leadership, accountability, communication, networking and marketing competencies of the farmers were strengthened. The project demonstrated a possible framework for developing country university efforts to impact on sustainable agricultural development. Integrating entrepreneurship aspects of technical and scientific knowledge, entrepreneurship, social and environmental awareness, experiential education and values and ethics into the curricula would provide universities with capacity to promote rural entrepreneurship.

Keywords

• entrepreneurship
• farmer training
• farmer competences
• productivity
• agricultural sustainability