The oil sector and service industry in urban areas especially in the
nation’s capital seem to be taking center stage in Uganda’s
development discourse. While a diversified economy is welcome,
agriculture (crop cultivation, livestock herding, fisheries and
forestry) will remain Uganda’s economic foundation for some time.
There is consensus among Ugandans and development partners that
agriculture will remain the engine of growth, poverty eradication and
economic transformation.
The overwhelming majority of Ugandans derive their livelihood from
agriculture. It produces most of the food, creates jobs, provides raw
materials for manufacturing enterprises, is the main foreign exchange
earner and contributes substantially to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Notwithstanding, agriculture has not received the practical attention
it deserves – excellent programs have been written but little
implemented by NRM. Besides, NRM government has not met the African
Unity Maputo decision that at least ten percent of national budget
should be allocated to agriculture.
Agricultural revolution paved the way for countries that are developed
today. Taking a short cut as NRM government seems to be doing might be
the wrong way to transform Uganda’s economy and society.
The European Union correctly stated that Uganda’s economy will depend
heavily on agriculture in the future. It will fuel economic growth and
provide a wider distribution of revenue. The processing of
agricultural produce will lay the foundation of Uganda’s
industrialization process. Also, through forward and backward linkages
agriculture will play a vital role in the transformation of the
country and her people. To this end we recommend that the following
actions be taken:
1. Land being life and only asset for peasants, policies should be
designed to ensure security of tenure at communal, family or
individual level and to facilitate long term investment and land use
to increase productivity per unit of land thereby ending the current
extensive methods of agriculture that are unsustainable.
2. The primary role of small holder farmers needs to be strengthened
and commensurate resources and services such as budget allocation,
credit, energy, transport and communications and extension services
provided.
3. Small-scale farmer managed irrigation schemes should be provided to
mitigate adverse effects of hydrological changes manifested in
rainfall irregularities in timing, amount and duration. Frequent and
severe droughts have necessitated a shift from rain-fed to irrigated
agriculture. Unlike large dams, small-scale irrigation has a further
advantage that it does not flood upstream areas or divert water from
downstream users.
4. Environmental and labor-friendly technology in farm implements,
high yielding seeds, fertilizers (a combination of organic and
inorganic), pesticides and processing needs to be developed or adapted
to local conditions to increase productivity. Imported technologies
should be scrutinized for suitability or adapted to local conditions.
5. Infrastructure like roads and affordable energy and communications
should be developed and maintained connecting all rural areas to
markets for inputs and outputs.
6. Agro-processing facilities should be promoted to add value, prolong
life of products and create jobs. The infant agro-processing
industries should be protected against unfair competition in line with
World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
7. Prevention of food losses at all levels of the production chain
such as storage including cold storage facilities should be provided.
Over fifty percent of crops especially high value horticultural
produce such as fruits and vegetables are lost every season.
Eliminating food losses will increase food availability without
increasing land under cultivation thereby making more land available
for non-farming activities.
8. Agricultural research institutions should be established or
strengthened. Research outcomes should be disseminated to farmers
through extension services.
9. Specific-programs for fisher-folk, herders, foresters, artisans and
traders should be developed as an integral part of rural development
agenda taking into consideration sustainability of resource use.
10. An equitable relationship between large scale private
entrepreneurs and peasants should be stressed and monitored closely.
11. Small holder farmers, fisher-folk, herders, foresters,
manufacturers, artisans and traders need to be organized in
cooperatives or other suitable modalities to benefit from economies of
scale.
12. A balance should be re-established between urban and rural
sectors. To date, NRM government has disproportionately favored urban
areas especially the capital city of Kampala (which contributes some
70 percent of Gross National Income -- GNI) at the expense of rural
areas. The imbalance has resulted in massive rural-urban migration
through pull and push factors – draining rural areas of economically
active labor and congesting towns with people that cannot find work
and decent living conditions.
13. Agriculture and rural development should be made attractive and
focus on creating jobs and giving pride of place to women who are the
main operators in many aspects of Uganda’s rural economy.
14. A balance should be struck between production for domestic
consumption and for cash. The principle of selling surplus over and
above domestic needs should be nonnegotiable. Ipso facto, the current
policy of production for cash and not for the stomach should be
abandoned. Hungry people can neither learn nor perform well.
15. Development partners should adapt their financial and technical
support programs in favor of agriculture, rural development and small-
holder farmers.
16. Appropriate education, training and re-training programs should be
developed and/or adapted to make them suitable for agriculture and
rural development.
17. A healthy farmer is more productive than a sick one. Therefore
preventive and curative health facilities should be provided as an
integral part of agriculture and rural development.
18. Policies should be designed to improve rural terms of trade to
make agriculture and rural development attractive and worth investing
in.
19. Food reserves at household, regional and national levels should be
established to avoid shortages and the hardship they cause especially
to vulnerable consumers.
NRM government has not matched rhetoric with action in agriculture and
rural development. It is unlikely to adapt because of rigidities in
its midst. To implement these recommendations successfully will
require new leadership underpinned by peace and stability, political
will and good governance based on consensus, transparency,
participation and accountability.
ERIC KASHAMBUZI
UAH FORUMIST IN NEWYORK
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