Land Tenure Insecurity, Fragmentation and Crop Choice: Evidence from Uganda
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Date
2021-04-19
Authors
Mwesigye, Francis
Barungi, Mildred
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AERC
Abstract
This study uses household-, parcel- and plot-level data to analyse the effect of land
tenure insecurity and land fragmentation on crop choice. We use formal land titling
as a proxy for de jure land rights, and the perceived transfer rights over parcels as a
proxy for de facto land rights. Using a two-part model, the study shows that both de
jure and de facto land rights significantly increase the likelihood of planting perennial
commercial crops, and also increase the hectares allocated to commercial crops.
The results also show that when the rights to land are weak (i.e., no land titling and
no transfer rights), farmers tend to grow annual crops. Land fragmentation affects
more the choice of, and land allocation to, perennial crops than it does for other crop
categories. Overall, the results suggest that there is a need for policies and laws that
strengthen land tenure security, either through formal land titling or strengthening
informal land rights, to promote the production of perennial and other commercial
crops.
Description
Keywords
Land tenure insecurity , Land fragmentation , Crop choice , Uganda