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Abstract
Using district-level data for 1992, 1995, and 1999, the study estimated effects of
different types of government expenditure on agricultural growth and rural poverty in
Uganda. The results reveal that government spending on agricultural research and
extension improved agricultural production substantially. This type of expenditure had
the largest measured returns to growth in agricultural production. Agricultural research
and extension spending also has the largest assessed impact on poverty reduction.
Government spending on rural roads also had substantial marginal impact on rural
poverty reduction. The impact of low-grade roads such as feeder roads is larger than that
of high-grade roads such as murram and tarmac roads. Education's effects rank after
agricultural research and extension, and roads. Government spending in health did not
show a large impact on growth in agricultural productivity or a reduction in rural poverty,
but in part because of difficulties in measuring some of the impacts of this type of
investment. Additional investments in the northern region (a poor region) contribute the
most to reducing poverty. The poverty-reduction effect of spending on infrastructure and
education is particularly high in this region. However, it is the western region (a
relatively well-developed region) where most types of investment have highest returns in
terms of increased agricultural productivity.