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Abstract
Although the Ugandan government is determined to aid farmers increase agricultural
productivity as an intervention on increasing food security and reducing poverty through
extension services, resources constraints are dampening its efforts. Private extension services
providers are being invited to take up information dissemination roles with queries on the
availability and demand of the services among farmers to attract private sector and factors
influencing the demand for extension services. Data collected by the Uganda Bureau of
Statistics (UBOS) on national service delivery throughout the country in 2008 among 5363 and
3318 farmers involved in crops’ and animals’ husbandry was used to predict willingness to pay,
amount farmers were willing to pay for extension services and factors that were to influence
willingness to pay. It was established that about 35% and 40% of the farmers were willing to
pay on average Ugandan shillings 3,400 (US$ 1.8) and 3,700 (US$ 2) per trip for extension
services in crop and animal husbandry respectively. Key farmer’s attributes that influenced
willingness to pay included sex, age, education level, regions of residence and preferred means
to receive the services. The demand for extension and preferred price are low for private sectors
engagement and the government should first educate the public on the importance of the
services.