THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE,
ANIMAL INDUSTRY AND FISHERIES

PLANNING IN TANDEM WITH 'PROSPERITY FOR ALL'

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) in conjunction with the Uganda National Farmers Federation, have organised yet another annual Agricultural Trade Show under the theme, 'Promoting Value Addition in Agricultural Production for Poverty Eradication.' The theme hinges on the 2006 NRM manifesto whose focus is the transformation of Uganda, more than 80% of the population are peasant; from a poor peasant society into a modern, industrial, united and prosperous society.

The ministry's salient interventions for the realisation of universal prosperity in Uganda include 'Prosperity For All' which is a policy framework on which a number of on-going projects undertaken are attuned through its value addition sectors.

Value Addition-Led Programmes:
The ministry's programmes are essentially tuned to value addition, increasing productivity and enhancing the capacity of the farmer to earn better income, thus, the research through the National Agricultural Research Organization. (NARO) and the advisory services through the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS). The implementations extension services to the farmers has also been restructured to facilitate the provision of inputs and provide linkages that would empower farmers to market their produce in partnership with larger producers and processors.

In the past, the Ministry's responsibilities stopped at production, however the Government has now transferred the primary and middle processing functions as well as marketing to MAAIF from the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry.

Other interventions aimed at value addition through increased production include diseases, pest and vector controls which are undertaken through a number of programmes and projects within the Ministry.

Water for Agricultural production:
Water for Agricultural Production is critical in agriculture for the enhancement of increased production & productivity, value addition and increased incomes by facilitating irrigation. This critical activity has therefore been transferred to the MAAIF as a key component for addressing key constraints affecting production, to be enhanced under the Farm Income Enhancement and Forestry Conservation Project (FIEFOC).

Market Linkages:
Evidently, the planning and set up of an enabling environment is a key approach to linking farmers to producers, processors, and to the market. This is illustrative of the market linkages that have been built into the production system. For instance, Citrus fruit production in the Soroti region is thriving, warranting the setting up of a processing plant for the region. Likewise, in the sun flower areas of Northern Uganda, farmers directly sell their produce to the processor, a Mukwano industry, who also provides them with dressed seed for next planting.

In the matooke growing region of Mbarara, farmers are at the stage of adding value to their produce through processing and packaging matooke for export.

The challenge the Ministry has braced itself to grapple with, is how to permeate the entire production society, "Farming must be taken seriously as a sustainable business---farming for a livelihood."

Effect of Climate Change on Food Production:
It is disappointing though, considering that Uganda has always been a 'bread basket' for the region, with people who were able to feed themselves. This has however been largely due to the current climate change.

In this regard, the Ministry has put in place several strategies to address the concerns of such climatic change effects. Some of these approaches include harnessing and exploiting the water bodies for both small and large irrigation system (MAAIF is renovating all the 5 irrigation schemes around the country) as well as issues of rain water harvesting during the wet seasons.

The growth of an expansive regional market comprising Uganda's neighbours has critically increased demand for food, to the extent that some agents buy food for export before it is harvested.

While this has contributed to the obtaining food shortage, the fact that we have a ready market for our produce is a positive development which the Government will exploit by encouraging farmers to produce enough for own consumption and for export.

Silos:
The farmers are being supported and encouraged to produce in excess of consumption, so that they are able to sell off others where Government can buy for storage. In this regard, the ministry is setting up policy for the national food storage, as a buffer against the unpredictable lean times. The Government will partner with the private sector to effectively accomplish this. The farmers will also be sensitized about the need for maintaining own food 'banks'.

THE PERMANENT SECRETARY
THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE,
ANIMAL INDUSTRY AND FISHERIES
P.O. BOX 102 ENTEBBE
TEL: 0414 320004. FAX: 0414 321047