Output Growth of Uganda’s Agriculture Sector: Does Public Expenditure on Education Matter?
Charles Owuor *
Kenyatta University, School of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture Economics, P.O.Box 43844 – 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
Eric K. Bett
Kenyatta University, School of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture Economics, P.O.Box 43844 – 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
Gabriel W. Mwenjeri
Kenyatta University, School of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture Economics, P.O.Box 43844 – 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
We examine the multiple dimensions of the effect of public investment in education on agriculture sector output in a multivariate econometric framework. The study is underpinned by the growing interest in empirical investigations on the effects of public education expenditure on economic growth in developing countries to inform the education sector policy environment. The research employed a longitudinal study approach to examine the extent of public investment in education and effects on agriculture sector output in Uganda. The study relied on data from national statistics for the period 1982- 2017. Overall, public expenditure on education has a net positive effect on agriculture sector output. The impact of education on agriculture output has been proven to promote agriculture output through supporting farmer adoption of new productivity-enhancing technologies.
Keywords: Auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL), agriculture output, education, public expenditure, economic growth.