The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Hon Frank Tumwebaze on 11th January 2023 flagged off a working partnership with the Uganda National Farmers Federation. While launching this at the Ministry Headquarters in Entebbe Hon Frank noted that this strategic partnership is centered on bringing farmers to own and take lead in the implementation of the government’s agricultural sector strategic direction and policy formulation table.
The historic event was attended by Ministry’s top political and technical leadership, UNFFE National Executive Committee members and UNFFE staff, and members of the fourth estate.
In his introductory remarks, Dr. Dick Kamuganga the UNFFE President mentioned that this is a fundamental turn of events for the farming community in the country since it lays a foundation for the full participation of farmers in the implementation of activities, projects, and programs under the MAAIF which are meant to transform them.
He added that this will usher the two institutions into a stronger working relationship than it has been since the establishment of UNFFE in 1992. Dr. Dick Kamuganga reminded participants that UNFFE’s major role is to mobilize all farmers across the country, organize them into strong farmer groups, empower them through training, advisory, and extension, speak for them but also coordinate strategic linkages to all value chain actors, and policymakers like MAAIF.
Maj Gen Kasura Kyomukama, the MAAIF Permanent Secretary indicated that this partnership with the biggest farmers’ organization will help the ministry reach its grass-root customers, the farmers. He pointed out that this partnership would enhance the goal of his ministry by transforming more farmers from subsistence to commercial agriculture by providing the needed information.
In his address, the Minister of State for Animal Industry, Hon Bright Rwamirama highlighted the need to focus on actualizing this partnership to strengthen Collaboration between technical teams now that a framework for working together has been initiated.
This working relationship will focus on key strategic areas such as:
- Mobilizing and organizing farmers into farmer groups and area cooperatives
- Empowering farmers through peer-to-peer learning
- Coordinating actors within the government sector
- Data collection
- Profiling of farmers from different regions
- Provision of timely farming advisories and a more interactive extension platform
- Conducting Farmer Baraazas to discuss issues affecting farmers genuinely
Hon Frank Tumwebaze also noted that the ministry will expect reasonable data about the profiles of each sub-region, the dominant enterprises, the production levels, the food security situation, the constraints of the farmers, and policy issues emanating from all regions of the country. He added that government will extend support through agro-machinery such as tractors, farm inputs, and irrigation technology to entice people with idle land to participate in massive production of food, feed, and high-value enterprises like coffee. The Minister sighted that if UNFFE gets 10,000 farmers each with 100 acres, the Ministry will support them with tractors and coffee inputs resulting in a very good number of coffee bags meeting the 20 million bags easily.
This partnership is in relation to the government’s initiative of promoting both the Parish Development Model and the Agro-industrialization program which targets both smallholder farmers and commercial farmers.
