Effects Of Financial Inclusion On Smallholder Farmers’ Productivity In Busoga Region Of Eastern Uganda

This study assessed the effects of financial inclusion on smallholder farmers‟ productivity in Busoga region of Eastern Uganda. It focused on the assessment of the Project for Financial Inclusion in Rural Areas (PROFIRA) of Uganda, by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Participants for the study are smallholder farmers who are members of the community-based Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs). A simple random sampling technique using Yamane (1967) method of selecting sample size was used to select 240 smallholder farmers from Kasolwe and Mbulamuti Savings and Credit Cooperatives at the Kamuli district, Busoga region of Eastern Uganda. Quantitative data was collected with structured questionnaire. The data collected was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics to determine - the level of financial inclusion in the study area, the socio-economic characteristics of the smallholder farmers, and the productivity of the farmers in the Busoga Region of Eastern Uganda. Linear regression analysis using Ordinary Least Square (OLS) method was used to examine the effects of financial inclusion on the smallholder farmers‟ productivity. A test of the hypothesis was conducted using independent sample t-test for the significance difference of male and female smallholder farmers on financial inclusion.