Determinants of Fruit Tree Adoption as a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Amongst Smallholder Farmers in Lake Kyoga Basin: A Case Study of Budaka District, Eastern Uganda.

Abstract

This study investigated the socioeconomic determinants of fruit tree adoption amongst smallholder farmers in Budaka District, Eastern Uganda. Specific objectives included describing the characteristics of fruit tree gardens, mapping their spatial distribution, and analysing socioeconomic factors influencing adoption. This study is one of the first empirical studies in agroforestry to relate socioeconomic factors in Eastern Uganda to the spatial distribution of fruit trees. The study employed a combined approach incorporating GIS-based spatial mapping and socioeconomic analysis. A cross-sectional design was employed, with data collected from 276 randomly selected farmers, key informants, and focus groups. GIS was used to visualise the spatial patterns and descriptive statistics, and chi-square tests were applied to identify differences between adopters and nonadopters. Results indicated that fruit farming is predominantly undertaken by males aged 40 and above. Fruit tree distribution is concentrated in the north and northwest, grown on small holdings averaging 0.5 acres with 10-40 trees. Chi-square tests confirmed significant differences in age, labour type, farm size, and income between adopters and nonadopters, whilst there were no significant differences in gender, family size, and access to credit. Policy interventions should expand youth- and gender-inclusive extension services that support climate resilience and sustainable fruit tree farming, and address land tenure limitations to increase adoption.