An Economic Assessment of Banana Genetic Improvement and ...

CHAPTER 7
Social Capital and Soil Fertility
Management in the Banana Production
Systems of Uganda
Enid Katungi, Melinda Smale, Charles Machethe,
and Wilberforce Kateera Tushemereirwe
The research in this chapter was motivated by the hypothesis that long-term improvement
in banana production in Uganda will be achieved by simultaneously solving the problems
of pests or diseases and soil fertility depletion. Despite the recognition of its importance,
comparatively less research has been directed toward the problem of soil fertility
depletion. Information about the factors that influence whether banana farmers invest in soil
fertility management is scant. The underlying conceptual approach in this chapter is based on
the model of the agricultural household described in Chapter 2. A factor analysis is used to
cluster a set of soil fertility management practices that are jointly applied into those related to
mulch and manure application. The influence of household, farm, market, and social characteristics
of farmers on decisions about soil fertility management is estimated using a probit
regression, an ordinary least squares regression, and a two-step Heckman estimation procedure.
The analysis assesses the extent to which recommended practices are known and used
by farmers; identifies the determinants of use; and draws implications for research, extension,
and national policy. The data and sample are described in Chapter 2 and Appendix D.
Theoretical Model
The model presented here depicts how a semisubsistence banana grower in Uganda may
choose to allocate banana area between a soil fertility management technology that enhances
the productivity of land but is labor intensive and a traditional technology for managing soil
fertility. The basic agricultural household model described in Chapter 2 is extended to incorporate
social capital as a component of exogenous income and information accumulation
processes.
Consider a household that both produces and consumes bananas, buying inputs and selling
produce in imperfect markets. Banana can be produced using two alternative soil fertility
management technologies: the improved management technology ( f l ) and the traditional
management technology ( f T ). The improved management technology utilizes labor (L) and
two types of external organic fertilizers (fertilizers in the form of mulch and manure application)
expressed in the vector F. Organic fertilizers are mainly produced on the farm as
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