Contributions of African Bird’s Eye Chilli (Capsicum frutescens) to Household Income of Smallholder Farmers in Northern Uganda: A Case Study of Paicho Sub-County

Abstract

African Bird’s Eye Chilli, a non-traditional export crop in Uganda, is becoming an important cash crop to the rural farmers. Its growth potential remains unexploited. Rural farmers derive their livelihoods from the land, but there are limited high valued crops for export and chilli presents the alternative to diversification. This study focused on the adoption and contribution of chilli to the household income of rural farmers. A total of 100 households were selected randomly, provided with chilli seeds and trained in basic agronomic practices of growing chilli in Paicho Sub-county. Sixty households grew the crop on an average of 0.158 acres and obtained an average yield of 103 kgs of dried chilli. The households realized an average income of 781,400 UGX. Before chilli production, average income from farming activities was 1,028,900 UGX and overall average total annual income was 1,672,000 UGX per household. After chilli production, average income from farming activities rose to 1,345,700 UGX and the overall average total annual income rose to 2,181,050 UGX. Advantages of growing chilli were; easy management, quick maturity, high yield, ready market, good market price, low cost of production, seeds are easy to access and resistance to weather. However, chilli production faces some challenges such as; difficulty in harvesting, pests and diseases, low access to seedlings, difficulties in drying during the rainy season, requires storage facilities and price fluctuation. African bird's eye chilli is a potential cash crop for smallholder farmers; its production should be embraced and promoted in Northern Uganda.