Mail surveys still a viable research technique

My first experiences in questionnaire writing took place in the 1960's when, as director of research at Miller Publishing Co., I had the responsibility for providing research for 18 trade publications. At that time WATS service was not available and our audiences were too scattered to use local field services for local telephone or personal interviewing services. It was necessary for us to rely on mail surveys for most of our primary data collection.

At the time, we were conducting more than 50 surveys annually, ranging in size from double postcards to multi-page documents. Although we had considerable lead time for most of them, there were a number which were sent out within a day or two after the decision had been made that they were needed.
 
Although there has been less emphasis placed on the use of mail surveys, they nevertheless are an important part of the research mix and are often the most effective and efficient method of obtaining data. Based on my experience I believe there are certain aspects of this type of research which require special attention.

The most persistent criticisms of mail survey techniques related to the non-respondent bias factor. It seemed that whenever the results of a study using this technique were presented, the first question asked related to the response rate. Even those who had no knowledge or direct experience with research believed there was some specific response percentage which legitimized the results. It was a number which had been given to them from "on high" and had to be equaled or exceeded in order for the results to be valid. It is the type of question which is rarely asked when the results are obtained using other techniques.

Those who have the responsibility of presenting research findings do not want to get bogged down in controversy regarding the validity of the results. There are a number of ways which response rates can be enhanced to the point that this question becomes moot. Each involves careful list selection. The researcher must know as much as possible about the list which he or she is using. It will have as much to do with questionnaire development as with delivery rates.

The most obvious questions relating to any list involve deliverability. It is critical that the list be current and that the provider of the list make a sampling available for testing. Some list houses promise a 95-plus percent delivery rate, but this is not sufficient because in the mail rooms of many companies, mail addressed to individuals no longer employed is simply discarded.

Other areas of consideration regarding lists include:

1. The updating of the list . The high mobility of our population makes it imperative that any list used be updated frequently.
2. The breakdown of categories in the list . The more information available about the people on a list, the easier it will be to target your mailing.
3. The availability of special programs . These allow custom selections by state, ZIP code, random selection, etc.

Specific information regarding the types of individuals on the list is important for the development of the questionnaire. If one is to achieve a high response rate it is important that each of the respondents find that the survey applies to himself or herself. Every individual receiving the survey should see questions which are directly applicable to them. We want everyone to get into the questionnaire and feel that it was designed for them. If the researcher does not do this then it is possible that the response rate will be adversely affected and that the non-respondents will be different than the respondents. Projecting the results to the entire universe may not be valid in that situation.

One example of this problem which I recall occurred when an editor of one of our publications, Feedlot Management, decided to conduct his own editorial survey on the use of horses in cattle feedlots. It was a postcard-sized questionnaire with three questions:

1) Do the individuals have horses for use in their feedlot?
2) How many?
3) How are they used?

Over 80% of the respondents indicated they were using horses in conjunction with their cattle feedlot operations. The editor was excited because he believed that he had discovered something concerning this type of operation which had been previously mentioned in articles relating to management practices. He was ready to report the results at the time our research department became aware of his survey. We were asked to review the data.

First, we found the response rate to have been less than 10%. We also discovered problems with the sampling technique. We were able to convince the editor that he should delay reporting the results until we had done a follow-up survey to determine if the initial results were valid.

Our questionnaire was approximately one page in length. We started with some general questions which would be applicable to all cattle feedlot managers. After asking for this information the questions relating to horses were presented. The survey ended with open-ended questions concerning editorial interests. The survey was mailed to a properly selected sample of the circulation.

The response rate for our questionnaire exceeded 50%. Less than 10% of our respondents indicated ownership of horses as compared to the 80+% in the earlier survey. The initial survey had elicited responses primarily from those who saw the questionnaire as being applicable to them. By providing a questionnaire which was much more inclusive, the results were dramatically changed.

There were many advantages to learning the questionnaire writing process as I did. Preparation is more critical because once the commitment is made regarding the questionnaire and the sample, it is difficult to correct errors. Although custom mail questionnaires have declined in importance they can still be valuable data collection tools when used properly.

In-depth interviews with dealers yield many benefits for farm equipment manufacturer

Cultivating communication

 

The Gehl Company knows the value of communication.

Through its dealer council, which consists of 16 dealers chosen from around the country, the West Bend, Wisconsin-based agricultural equipment manufacturer is able to keep abreast of changing market conditions, industry and product trends.

The company's primary market is dairy farmers, but it also markets to livestock and swine producers, manufacturing a wide range of equipment including manure spreaders, machinery for cutting and baling hay, and skid loaders.

The role of the dealer council, says Joe Ecker, Gehl's director of marketing, is to improve communication between the company and the dealers, thereby strengthening the relationship.

"We look to the council to provide Gehl management with the collective and representative judgments of its dealers concerning market conditions, current market trends, and any needs or problems that may arise between the company and the dealers," Ecker says.

"It's important to us to be responsive to our dealers because we feel very strongly that our dealers are the key to our success or failure."

In existence since 1978, the dealer council meets once a year with Gehl management. To choose the dealers who participate, Gehl sales staff around the country assemble a list of qualified dealers in their area. This list is then submitted to the regional sales managers for further review.

Many criteria

There are many criteria for qualification, as Gehl seeks to strike a balance between large and small operations, those that are established and those that are just beginning, and those operating in a range of different farming and ranching conditions. The goal is to make the council as representative as possible of the Gehl dealer universe.

"About 85 % of the dealers have a tractor franchise, such as John Deere or Ford New Holland. That's just one of the factors that goes into determining the mix of the dealer council. From a research standpoint, and from a mix standpoint, they are chosen on a geographical basis as well as on a volume basis so we get a mix of high volume and low volume dealers, as well as a mix of the (equipment) lines they represent," Ecker says.

Once a dealer has been chosen to serve on the council, he sends out forms to dealers in his area which the dealers can use to indicate any concerns/interests they would like Gehl to know about and would like to see discussed at the dealer council meeting.

Ecker says that each year four or five dealers are held over to serve another term on the council to provide continuity and allow the company to follow up on actions based on the previous year's council.

One-on-one interviews

Each December, the council meets for three days at Gehl headquarters. To set the agenda for the annual meeting, and to make sure it is productive for both sides, a Gehl representative performs an in- depth, one-on-one interview with each of the dealers at their dealership in late summer or early fall.

"We feel that doing the interview in the dealer's bailiwick gives him a comfort zone and allows him more freedom to talk. We're looking for objective information, and we know that if I went out to do the interview, or if someone else from Gehl went out, that the dealers might not be as candid as we would like them to be," Ecker says.

So Gehl retains Bruce Symonds, president of the Bruce K. Symonds Co., a St. Paul based marketing consulting firm, to perform and supervise the interviews.

Symonds, who helped Gehl create the dealer council, says the interviews last about two hours, but the whole process, which includes a photo session (to show other dealers at the council meeting what their fellow members' facilities look like) and a tour of the dealer's facility, takes half a day.

The interview covers several areas, including:

• Dealership history and description.
• Local market information, including information on local farming and ranching trends and how this will affect future farm equipment design and usage.
• Dealer suggestions for product design changes and/or new equipment.
• Dealer council discussion priorities in the areas of parts, service and warranty; credit and retail finance; advertising and marketing; dealer sales and service training.
• The effectiveness of sales promotions and suggestions for improving future efforts.
• Sales information by product type.
• Opinions on recent Gehl changes in product line and marketing support.
• Projections for future sales potential.
• Competitive activities and their effect on business.

Whenever possible, Symonds says he tries to interview the dealers at a restaurant or motel room, away from the distractions of their office and the constant phone calls. He says it's important to be a good listener.

"I want them to be able to tell me anything, and I always tell them that this is for their benefit. The more open they can be, the better."

Symonds says the one-on-ones offer some advantages over traditional focus groups. "In focus groups, it can be very difficult to control the conversation. Some people are more talkative than others, you hear from the more aggressive people, the others you don't hear anything from. But when we interview them one-on-one, we're able to draw out the quiet people and get some good input from all of them."

The survey topics change each year, in response to market trends/developments and shifts in dealer interest. If Gehl is considering operational changes such as a new marketing program, for example, or a change to a product line, it may want to use the interviews to test reactions to it.

After compiling the results from the interviews, Symonds meets with Gehl management to discuss the findings and set the agenda for the upcoming council meeting.

Review priorities

Ecker says that through the dealer council, the dealers provide Gehl with five to fifteen priorities to work on in the coming year. After the dealer council session Gehl management meets to review the priorities set by the dealers.

"We bring together all of the disciplines that are affected by the priorities, address them, discuss them, and determine which ones we feel we can act on reasonably soon, and those that will have to be dealt with in the future because of budgeting constraints, etc. We feel that it is extremely important to respond to the dealer priorities as quickly as possible and to follow up throughout the year.

"It is really a guideline to help us run the business and improve our position with the dealer. Many things have come out of the dealer council. They have given us a lot of guidance."

Pushed for finance company

For example, during the early years of the council, dealers pushed for Gehl to create a captive finance company so that dealers could complete sales to farmers without forcing the farmer to go to his local bank for financing-an extra stage in the deal-making process that often resulted in lost sales.

"It took us time to set up Gehl Finance, because it was a very big step on our part, but eventually we did it. There isn't any doubt that (the dealers') constant requests for it enabled us to show our financial people that it was a must. It has proven to be a valuable instrument for the company."

Ecker says that the dealer council has given important guidance on product quality, product mix, warranty changes, and advertising programs. For example, through the co-op advertising program, Gehl and its dealers share the cost of local advertising.

"The council has helped us develop and enrich our co-op advertising program over the last five years and we intend to do more with it. The interviews give us information on what frequency, content, and level of participation works best. And they let us know how the dealers feel about our responsiveness to their requests."

Three-day meeting

The annual three-day council meeting allows for interaction between the dealers and Gehl management. On the first night, Symonds and the council chairman host a get-acquainted meeting, during which the issues to be discussed with company management are decided. The following day, meetings with management give the dealers a chance to learn about the company's plans for products, training, marketing and a host of other issues.

The morning of the third day is devoted to a closed-door meeting of the dealer council, with no Gehl management present, during which the dealers finalize and prioritize the requests they will make to the company.

Recognizes value

Ecker says that throughout the council's existence, even during the agricultural recession of the 80s, Gehl has stood by the council, because it recognizes its value.

"It's not necessarily an inexpensive way to get this information, but we feel very strongly about our dealer council. We feel that it is one of the best communication tools that we have."

An Agribusiness Stock

Inside Wall Street: An Agribusiness 

Stock With Robust Growth 

Prospects

by Gene Marcial  Feb 28th 2011 7:30AM
Updated Mar 1st 2011 12:04PM

Once an unknown company to most U.S. investors, Syngenta (SYT) has blossomed and flourished as one of the world's leading agribusiness companies, with a hefty 19% global share in the multibillion-dollar crop-protection market and 11% in seed production. And its stock has streaked to all-time highs in February as it rivals older, big-name competitors DuPont (DD) and Monsanto (MON).

Switzerland-based Syngenta is one of my favorites because of its impressive robust growth story -- and a stock that has continued to climb every year since I first wrote about it for BusinessWeek on Mar. 13, 2006, when it was trading at $28 per American Depositary Receipt (ADR). It has rocketed since to $65 on Feb. 25, after hitting a record high of $67.35 on Feb. 9. Wall Street bulls believe it will keep climbing -- perhaps to $75 or more in 12 months. A total of 11 analysts follow Syngenta, with six recommending a buy and the rest sticking to a hold rating. None advocates selling the stock.

Industrial Corn for Ethanol
Not many companies can boast of such a stunning performance -- especially in the field of agriculture. Prospects are even sunnier ahead as grain and commodity prices continue to escalate. With operations in more than 90 countries, Syngenta is a leading producer of crop-protection products used on a wide variety of crops -- herbicides, insecticides and fungicides -- as well as in fruits, vegetables and flowers. .

The company also develops and invests heavily in research and development to come up with genetically modified seeds. On Feb. 11, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved one of its products, a genetically enhanced corn, for use in the making of ethanol. Using this "industrial" corn for producing ethanol increases output and reduces the water, energy and chemicals previously needed. Syngenta is taking steps to make sure the special corn doesn't get into the food supply.

Such specialized farm products reflect the innovative spirit at Syngenta. "As a key provider of crop chemicals and seeds, we think Syngenta will benefit as declining arable land per person and rising income levels lead to increased demand for agricultural inputs over the long run," says Jeffrey Stafford, analyst at investment research outfit Morningstar, in a report on the company. Over the short run, he adds, "high crop prices and excellent farmer economics should lead to solid results."

Soybean Yield Increases of 50%

Indeed, with Syngenta's record of innovation, the company has established a "prime position in crop-protection products," observes Stafford. Part of the novel efforts at Syngenta is its recent change in strategy that fully integrates the company's crop-protection and seeds operations. That allows Syngenta to offer farmers a single package and expert advice with both crop-protection and seeds for their specific needs, tailored to their local conditions.

The combined approach not only reduces the cost to the farmer but also results in more efficiency and productivity, explains Syngenta Chief Operating Officer John Atkin. And the single package saves farmers time because just one Syngenta representative offers the two products and combined expertise in one meeting, he adds. At the same time, the integration saves Syngenta about $600 million a year.

The strategy has been in operation in some countries, such as Brazil, the second most important market for Syngenta after the U.S. He says some Brazilian farmers have been able to increase their soybean yield by 50% over their average output. Such results have thus convinced the company to apply the integrated-package strategy worldwide.

"Growth Underpinned by a Multitude of Factors"

According to CEO Mike Mack, Syngenta is determined to continue to outperform beyond 2011 by targeting an earnings margin (before interest taxes, depreciation and amortization) of between 22% and 24%, cash flow return on investment of more than 12% and further market share gains. At a recent conference call with analysts, Mack said those goals reflect the company's confidence in the continued growth of its businesses, as well its ability to pursue a "progressive dividend policy" from a higher base.

With its stable financial condition and strong balance sheet, the company's free cash flow has increased to $1.2 billion. "The free cash flow will remain robust due to strong demand growth from the emerging markets," notes Ankit Jain, analyst at Standard & Poor's, who rates Syngenta a buy. "We think the solid demand for grain will endure with growth underpinned by a multitude of factors." These include a steadily growing global population, increasing urbanization that has reduced the availability of arable land and the rising demand for animal feed due to increased demand for meat and dairy products, says Jain. 

Also a big problem is the "increasingly adverse yield conditions," mostly due to factors such as soil erosion, drought, deforestation and plant diseases, laments Jain.

These factors all bode well for Syngenta, which "has built leadership positions in crop-protection and seeds technologies," says the analyst. He forecasts Syngenta will earn $19.70 a share in 2011 on revenues of $12.40 billion, and $20.60 a share on revenues of $12.87 billion in 2012 -- way up from 2009's earnings of $16.42 on sales of $11.64 billion. One share of Syngenta is equal to five ADRs.

Still Largely Unnoticed

Analyst Andrew Stott of Bank of America Merrill Lynch is impressed with Syngenta's array of products and technology. "The overriding fact remains that Syngenta's broad platform is unrivaled," he says. And he sees significant increases in its dividends. That plus acquisition-led growth could enhance further shareholder returns, says Stott, who has a 12-month price target of $73 a share.

As impressive as Syngenta's fast growth and the masterful stock performance are, not many of the large U.S. institutional investors have yet flocked to it. The few that have bought into the stock include Delaware Management, which has acquired a 1.2% stake, and Wellington Management, which owns a modest 0.6%.

Nonetheless, for investors looking for an agricultural play with a record of almost unbridled growth and a stock that's on the rise, Syngenta looks like a well-grounded and fertile investment bet. 

Agribusiness:

 Background

The agribusiness sector is composed of a diverse group of interests -- crop producers, livestock and meat producers, poultry and egg companies, dairy farmers, timber producers, tobacco companies and food manufacturers and stores.

Individuals and political action committees associated with the agribusiness sectorcontributed $65 million at the federal level during the 2008 election cycle and leaned Republican -- giving the GOP 62 percent of its contributions. In years past, the sector has been even more supportive of Republicans, giving as much as three-quarters of its contributions to the party. However, the sector marginally increased its contributions to Democrats after they regained Congress in 2006 � a trend that has persisted going into the 2012 presidential elections.

The agribusiness sector has contributed $480.5 million to federal candidates during the past two decades, with two-thirds going to Republicans.

The sector's top contributors for the past three election cycles have been the Altria Group(formerly Philip Morris) and American Crystal Sugar. Altria contributed $1.2 million in 2008, split evenly between the two parties. American Crystal Sugar gave 63 percent of its $1.9 million in contributions to Democrats during the 2008 cycle. The sugar cane and sugar beets industry -- as opposed to the sector as a whole -- has consistently leaned Democratic during the last two decades.

On the lobbying front, the sector spent $133 million in 2009, with the agriculture services,food processing and tobacco industries accounting for the majority of the expenditures. While the tobacco lobby has always had a major presence on Capitol Hill, the other two industries have steadily increased lobbying expenditures during the last few years as Congress has considered placing new food safety regulations and disclosure requirements on their products.

Issues of importance to the sector include agriculture subsidies, environmental and safety regulations and trade policy that favors agriculture. Increasingly, immigration reform has also become an issue, as many industries in the sector are highly dependent on immigrants and seasonal workers for labor.

Tanzania has become a battleground in fight over GM crops

CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

African countries and research organizations, working together in the Water Efficient Maize for Africa project, have incorporated a gene from a common soil bacterium into corn, enabling plants to produce kernels even while short of water.

When the bell rang at midday, students fetched tin bowls and lined up under trees in the schoolyard for scoops of corn and bean porridge.

Not one of them displayed the food fussiness often seen in American school lunch lines.

After the rainy seasons shortchanged this Maasai village in northern Tanzania, children here suffered too many days when there was no porridge -- no food at all to eat in their mud and stick huts. Drought is to blame for a good share of their suffering.

African countries and research organizations, working together in the Water Efficient Maize for Africa project, have incorporated a gene from a common soil bacterium into corn, enabling plants to produce kernels even while short of water. The GM corn is expected to increase yields by 25 percent during moderate drought.

Tanzania is a member nation in the project, but regulations it adopted in 2009 have effectively blocked GM crops. Under a “strict liability” rule, anyone associated with importing, moving, storing or using GM products is liable if someone makes a claim of harm, injury or loss caused by the products. Such a claim could reach beyond personal loss or injury to include damage to the environment and to biological diversity. Under that policy, no research organization has dared to introduce GM crops into Tanzania’s fields.

At the Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute in Dar es Salaam, plant virologist Joseph Ndunguru has genetically transformed cassava to resist viruses that are devastating the crop. Instead of starting field trials, Ndunguru is waiting for new regulations.

As for water-efficient corn, Alois Kullaya said research has been on hold since 2009. He is Mikocheni’s principal agricultural research officer and the Tanzanian coordinator of the corn project. Tanzanian scientists have not been able to conduct field trials with the corn they have developed in laboratories.

The scientists have urged Tanzania’s government to shift to a “fault-based” regulatory approach under which a heavier burden of proof would fall on someone claiming harm or injury.

The influence of Europe

Pushing the government from the other side is the Tanzania Alliance for Biodiversity, a coalition of environmental and organic-farming groups.

"Whoever introduces GMOs [genetically modified organisms] should be responsible for what happens on the ground,” said Abdallah Mkindi, alliance coordinator.

Mkindi said scientists serve as a front for multinational seed companies. If regulations were relaxed, he said, companies could hold small-scale farmers for ransom and food security would be threatened.

"Multinational companies are simply here to expand their business,” Mkindi said. “GMO is not a solution to famine.”

Some coalition members argue that Africa’s food sovereignty is at risk if its farmers accept seeds and plant cuttings created by large outside organizations. Some also say that a high-tech fix for Africa’s food insecurity is a false promise given the many other problems begging to be addressed — including poor access to land, water, credit, agricultural extension services, roads and markets.

Of 19 alliance members, 11 are European-based groups or have European affiliations. The expert authority the alliance cites for claims about GM crops is from London-based Earth Open Source.

Beyond grass-roots activism, Europeans have profoundly influenced African attitudes by rejecting GM crops, Ndunguru said.

"People go to the Internet, and they read the information put there by European anti-GM groups, and they ask, ‘If this technology is safe, why don’t the Europeans use it?’ ” he said.

Now, some experts are accusing European activists of placing ideology above Africa’s food security.

"Opposition to biotechnology in Africa started before there was much scientific research on the subject outside South Africa. So Africa’s first import was opposition to the technology before the products got there,” said Calestous Juma, a Harvard University professor of international development and a native Kenyan. “This was because the [European Union] constructed a resistance industry and exported it through a variety of channels.”

U.S. groups make their mark

American advocates for GM crops have been busy in Africa, too.

Support for the Water Efficient Maize project came from the U.S. Agency for International Development as well as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. The project’s drought-tolerance gene came from Monsanto, which has said the seeds will go royalty-free to African farmers. The project also produces conventionally bred corn.

Other GM research targeted for Africa also is backed by American money and know-how.

One target has been the vitamin-A deficiency that causes blindness in millions of African children. Helen Keller International is involved in engineering orange-fleshed sweet potatoes to deliver extra helpings of the micronutrient that the body transforms into vitamin A. The St. Louis-based Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is working in Kenya and Nigeria to boost that provitamin and other nutrients in cassava.

Another goal is to address deficiencies in the resources available to African farmers. DuPont Pioneer, for example, is helping develop corn that makes more efficient use of nitrogen so farmers could get by with less fertilizer.

Behind the individual projects, GM foes suspect a conspiracy to slip American agribusiness into Africa. In 2012, the Obama administration prompted a flurry of suspicion when it used a Group of Eight summit to announce the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, with the goal of lifting 50 million Africans out of poverty by 2022.

US vs Europe

A working group of the German Forum on Environment & Development reacted with a statement saying the initiative “paves the way for radical opening of markets for international seed and agrarian corporations in African countries.”

That response expressed the essence of the tension that persists across Africa, with American technology rolling forward against pushback from Europeans — and from some like-minded Americans.

The controversy flared again this year after the World Food Prize Foundation announced that its prestigious annual award would go to three scientists who laid the groundwork for today’s GM crops 30 years ago by developing techniques for inserting foreign genes into the DNA of plants. The recipients are to be honored at a three-day international symposium in Des Moines beginning Oct. 16.

While the global debate rages, many families in Engaruka remain perilously close to starvation after recent droughts destroyed crops and killed 65 percent of the livestock.

Before 2009, Thomas Saitoti’o owned 30 cows, he said. Now he has just two. His family lost its cushion against the next drought. The family ran out of food in April and was saved by a government handout of corn.

At the end of the dirt path leading to the next house, Juliana Saitoti sat shelling beans. Thanks to rain this year, her family had food in September, even eggs for the children.

But with the dry season, food would run out in October.

"Then we will not have enough to eat,” she said.  

Stop complaining about employment and invest in agriculture.

Agriculture is the most important export sector in Uganda contributing nearly 46 pct. of the total exports in 2010.  The sector provides employment to over 70 pct. of Uganda’s labour force. However, there are significant barriers to increasing production and productivity, as well as value addition, especially to the export crops.

NAADS board chairman, Dr.Aggrey

“In Kenya the youth have changed their mindset to embrace agriculture other than office work because they know what farming has to offer,” he said.

He was addressing a delegation of Ugandan youth who were on a seven-day agricultural study tour in Kenya.

The head of the delegation, who is the chairman of the National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS), Aggrey Bagiire said the government is mostly engaging the youth, women and people with disability (PWD’s).

He said government is taking these groups to education tours of agriculture to ensure that the country has stable food for both domestic consumption and sale.

He said the World Bank, through East African Agricultural Programme (EAAP), zoned Uganda to champion the cassava technology, Kenya for dairy, Tanzania for rice technology and Ethiopia for wheat as a way to boost the agricultural economy in Africa.

“NAADS, EAAP and National Agriculture Research Organization (NARO) teamed up to change the mindset of people but mostly the youth, women and the PWDs in agriculture in order to reduce the rate of unemployment and dependency,” said Bagiire.

NAADS youth manager, Dr. Aggrey Kyobuguzi thanked the Kenyan government for its investment in the dairy training institutions in the country, saying it had helped other countries like Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and others to visit and learn the modern technologies of dairy farming.

Some of the Ugandan youth who recently attended the tour. PHOTO/Abdulkarim Ssengendo

Kyobuguzi said through routine visits to Kenyan dairy institutes, by 2015, Ugandans could also have established similar institutes back home using knowledge they acquire on such trips.
He was optimistic that some of these institutes will be initiated by youth, women and the PWDs in different regions of the country to help other farmers acquire knowledge on dairy farming , aquaculture and poultry farming.

Overview of the Dairy Sector

The dairy sector is one of the critical sectors in Uganda, COMESA and East African Community (EAC), with high

potential for improving food security and welfare. Recent analysis provides clear evidence of increasing demand

for dairy products (and other foods of animal origin) in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) and other developing regionsof the world as a result of rapid population growth, urbanization and increasing purchasing power.

In Uganda, dairy production takes place under any of the following four categories of farming systems;

Zero grazing (i.e. the cow is fed exclusively on concentrates; no grazing). Refers to the confinement of a few animals in a small enclosure where feeds or fodder and water are brought to the animals. According to study done by Mbabazi Pamela (2005), at least 20% of low income households in Ankole have received a zerograzing cow not only from government but also from such organizations as Send A Cow (UK) and Heifer International Project. The advantage of this grazing system is that people without much land for grazing are able to raise cattle to produce milk for home consumption and to earn an income. This system is widely practiced in Uganda especially is the Eastern, Western and Southern Western regions.

Fenced/paddock grazing (i.e. grazing cattle in paddocks or/and feeding them with concentrates) is a

common farming practice in areas where the land holdings are fairly small. This type of grazing requires land clearing and improved pasture. It’s largely practiced by farmers of hybrid and cross-breed cattle and has expanded rapidly with the liberalization of the economy which has resulted in the need to make farms economically viable. In order to increase production, dairy farmers have planted legumes, elephant grass and alfalfa for their cattle.

Free range grazing (i.e. grazing cattle by moving them all over the farm). Traditional practice especially in the extensive grasslands in the Southern part of Uganda. The farmland is often not paddocked, but the boundaries are fenced with a local plant. The daily routine of open grazing is morning milking, grazing, watering evening milking and late evening grazing. This system is being phased out because of the sensitive  nature of land encroachment.

Communal grazing (i.e. pastoral grazing on communal land owned by clan). Still practiced in North- Eastern part of Uganda (Karamoja, Kotido, Moroto, Amuria, and Soroti). The government is discouraged this system of cattle grazing, but culture still overrides government initiative.

The livestock sub sector contributes 18% of agriculture gross domestic product (GDP) and between 7%-9% of the national gross domestic product (GDP). Of the GDP attributed to the livestock sub sector the dairy sector is estimated to contribute up to 45% and plays an important role as a source of food, income and employment.

Dairy farming is concentrated in 42 districts found in the cattle corridor which stretches from the South Western region through central to north eastern. On average, 60% of the households in the cattle corridor keep livestock.

Aquaculture is the farming of fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and aquatic plants, that requires the farmer to add feed, and perform other interventions to increase species production. The practice can take many forms. From large-scale systems that often require greater inputs (feed and fertilizer) and spit out negative effects, like the spewing of waste effluent into waterways, to small-scale systems that make more efficient use of existing resources. Integrated aquaculture can convert plant and animal waste into high quality fish protein, and yield pond mud for use as fertilizer to improve soil quality on crop land.

During the seven-day tour, the delegation that comprised 80 people including youth, PWDs, State House officials and resident district commissioners, visited agricultural institutes and prominent farmers in Naivasha, Thika, Nairobi, Limuru, Ruiru and Githunguri in central Kenya.


A documentary on agribusiness high-lighting some of the best practices being employed by Kenyan farmers that can be borrowed by Uganda youths to bridge the missing gaps in Uganda's agricultural system.

Kamuli farmer targets 6,800 chicks a week from hatchery

Zubairi Mukaya Laliyo

My name is Zubairi Mukaya Laliyo, a resident of Kamuli District. I am 48 years old and I have been involved in farming since the age of 12. I am a mixed farmer who grows bananas and coffee, carries out fish farming and, to a less extent, dairying.
As regards the latter, there are five cows which provide milk for home consumption with the surplus sold. However, I consider poultry as my main source of livelihood.

All the farming is carried out on four acres of land; two acres were purchased with proceeds from poultry while the others were inherited from my father.

My poultry farm is known as Bakusekamajja Poultry Farm. It contains 400 layers and 100 cocks, which do the fertilisation of the eggs before they are taken to the hatchery. They are of the Kuroiler breed.

Potential
I started in 2007 when I received 100 layers from Naads. Initially, the idea was to develop my own breed; fast maturing but disease resistant. So, I bought 10 cocks to mate with the layers.

This yielded 700 eggs, which I took a hatchery in Buwenge where I was charged Shs400 for each hatched egg.
Eventually, under this arrangement, I accumulated 1,500 chicks. After five months, I sold them off to acquire another breed from India called Kuroiler.

I had been convinced by a friend to rear this breed as they have the same qualities I was looking for. In 2008, a Naads assessment was carried out and I was selected to receive a hatchery. It was to help the farmers in the area bring their eggs for hatching and they would pay me a fee.

Advantages
The target is to hatch 6,800 chicks a week though the current number is 2,500 a week. The full potential is not yet realised because I have only 400 layers yet there are supposed to be 1,000 of them to fill all chambers in the hatchery.
To date, from the 2,500 chicks hatched weekly, I am assured of Shs500,000 when taken as day old chicks. Each goes for Shs200.

But when they are not bought as day old chicks, I put them in the brooder for a month and they are vaccinated. I sell them at Shs5,000 each, which amounts to Shs1.25m.
The other advantage from poultry farming is that I use the chicken droppings as feed in the fish pond. When I harvest, I sell the fish in Jinja Town and on average I get Shs500,000 a month.

Chicken droppings are also a source of manure, which is applied in the coffee and banana plantation. In turn, I use the banana male bud as poultry feed and, at the same time, it is medicinal. I have 9,000 banana plants on two acres. In addition to the bunches, I also sell the corms.
Future plans include boosting the hatchery to its full potential and make Bakusekamajja Poultry Farm a study centre for poultry-related activities.

Listening to advice
However, much as I have pointed out success stories, there are a few challenges.
One of them is water shortage as these birds need a lot of water. To overcome this, I am harvesting rainwater from the roofs of the structures on the farm.

There is also the challenge of feeds. There are poor quality or adulterated feeds on the market; some of the traders pack wood ash, sand and other impurities alongside maize meal and mark them as chicken feed. To avoid this problem, I am in the process of getting a feed mixer.

I urge all youth to engage in poultry and other agriculture-related activities as the saying goes “sitting and wishing does not make a man”.
I believe I have become successful at poultry farming because I adhere to expertise from veterinary doctors