International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development

This study assessed farmers’ perceptions on the use of on-farm produced feeds for broiler production in Mbarara City, South-Western Uganda using a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 201 broiler farmers categorized into on-farm feed users, commercial feed users, and mixed users using intervieweradministered questionnaires and observation checklists, and analyzed using SPSS version 25 through descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests. Findings revealed that most respondents were middle-aged (36–45 years), male (73.1%), and fairly educated, with secondary and tertiary education being dominant. Farmers using on-farm feeds exhibited more positive perceptions, strongly agreeing that such feeds are reliable, improve broiler growth, enhance control over feed quality, and reduce dependence on commercial feeds. Chi-square results showed significant associations between feed type and perceptions of reliability (p = 0.000), profitability (p = 0.002), cost-effectiveness (p = 0.005), and record keeping practices (p = 0.001), while training needs were not significantly different across groups (p = 0.130). Cost analysis indicated that on-farm feeds were cheaper (mean 1,350 UGX/kg) than commercial feeds (about 3,000 UGX/kg), leading to higher profitability among on-farm feed users who recorded higher gross profits (UGX 1,200,000 per cycle) and net profit per bird (UGX 2,500). The study concludes that on-farm feed production enhances cost efficiency, profitability, and farmer autonomy, while adoption is strongly influenced by education, extension access, and experience, though constrained by limited technical skills and feed quality concerns. It recommends strengthening farmer training, extension services, cooperative structures, and digital advisory systems to improve adoption and sustainability of on-farm feed production in broiler farming.

Rwakasimba Bright Mugisha, Prof. Rebecca Kalibwani, Dr. Onyati Jean Simon,"Assessing Farmers’ Perceptions on The Use of on-Farm Produced Feeds for Broiler Production in Mbarara City, South-Western Uganda" International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development, V9(3): Page(2552-2569) May-June 2026. ISSN: 2581-7175. www.ijsred.com. Published by Scientific and Academic Research Publishing.