Farmers’ show attracts foreign exhibitors
A farmer holds a basket of tomatoes. Farmers
will benefit from food processing technology
The Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE) today hosts the 18th edition of the Source of the Nile National Agricultural and Trade Show. Ronald Kalyango talked to Charles Ogang, the organisation’s president, about the event. Below are the excerpts.
Question: Do Ugandan farmers need UNFFE to improve their agricultural practices?
Answer: Uganda National Farmers Federation is an apex organisations with over six million members. Our membership comprises district farmers federations, commodity associations and input dealers. One of our mandates is to organise shows, annually. This year’s event will start on July 12 and will run up to July 18. It will officially open on July 13 and President Museveni, the organisation’s patron is expected to be the guest of honour.
What is the theme?
It is, ‘Modern production technologies and value addition, the way forward for the agricultural sector.’ We expect visitors to the show who include producers, manufactures, special commodity associations and school children to benefit from new technologies that are being developed by different stakeholders.
It will provide opportunity to different show goers to adopt new technologies being developed by various researchers. The show will also enable farmers to exchange contacts with other producers both within and outside the country. It will provide them with marketing opportunities. Ugandan farmers will be able to produce goods which can compete in the East African region.
How many people do you expect to attend the show?
We expect over 200,000 people. They will benefit from the foreign exhibitors especially those from Egypt and Iran. In the past, the show has been attracting exhibitors from Kenya, Tanzania and last year, there was a big delegation from Southern Sudan. We are optimistic that foreign exhibitors especially from Iran will display various types of equipment they use for fruit and honey extraction. Ugandan farmers will also learn from Egyptian exhibitors, better ways of harvesting water at household level.
Why should an ordinary farmer attend this year’s show?
There are a lot of things to be learnt by all categories of people and not only farmers. A lot of research has been conducted by scientists and the seed companies are also engaged in extending the technologies to farmers. The show is the only opportunity where all stakeholders can interact with people from different fields. The ministry and its key institutions like the National the Agriculture Research Organisation and National Agricultural Advisory Services are doing a lot of work which they will exhibit.
What is embedded in the business plan which was funded and developed by Danida?
The business plan which Danida developed will enable us to organise future agricultural shows in a more professional manner. Danida also wants us to organise future agricultural shows according to international standards. In future we shall focus more on minimising losses. We had wanted to implement the business plan this year but we do not have enough funds to purchase the required machinery and recruit the personnel. Our focus is to implement the plan in 2011.
What is your comment on this year’s annual agricultural budget?
The budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector still falls short of the Maputo declaration. It was agreed in 2003 that funding to the agricultural sector be increased to 10% but Uganda is still allocating 4% of its annual budget to the sector. We cannot talk of modernising our agricultural sector when priority is given to other sectors.
Is the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) a good programme?
It is an excellent programme but with a lot of challenges, which can be minimised with proper management. We expected the programme to work closely with UNFFE because we have organised farmers groups that used to compete in different farmer competitions. It should also be implemented with the already existing structures of the UNFFE.
What exactly do Ugandan rural farmers want?
Rural farmers want advisory services, farm inputs like improved seeds, fertilisers and herbicides. Advisory services from government should not die but this is where we are heading to. Government has to provide solutions to pests and diseases, storage and marketing of agricultural produce, fake farm inputs and agro-chemicals.
What are some of the challenges facing the UNFFE?
Farmers in the countryside expect UNFFE to provide solutions to their problems like the high cost of inputs and access to markets. The majority of farmers don’t know that UNFFE’s work is to provide skills and knowledge other than inputs. Our work is also to encourage farmers to form groups to market produce as a group for better prices other than us providing market for their produce.
