Factors determining intensity of camel adoption in semi-arid north-eastern Uganda

Abstract

Integration of camel (Camelus dromedarius) production in the traditional livestock systems is increasingly gaining significance as a strategy for household adaptation to prolonged and recurrent droughts in African arid and semi-arid lands. There is increasing interest in promoting camels as a strategy to mitigate the effects of prolonged droughts in communities where camels have not been reared before. However, the intensity of camel adoption and the factors that drive camel adoption process in semi-arid Uganda are not clear. The objective of this study was to determine the level of intensity and socio-economic factors influencing the intensity of camel adoption in Karamoja sub-region in Uganda. Econometric results show that age the of a household head was significantly associated with the intensity of camel adoption; whereas household size, credit access and crop area cultivated significantly decreased with the intensity of camel adoption in the region. Increasing camel adoption was possible with increasing access to capital; as well as carefully balancing the competition for labour with crop cultivation.