Focus Should Be On Smallholder Farmers

Judith Bakirya, a farmer and a discussant at the launch of the 2015 Agricultural Finance Yearbook has called upon for focus on smallholder farmers. In her view, success in the agricultural sector will only be realised when banks and the stakeholders at are understand the mindset of the smallholder farmer. 

“The reason mobile money, phone, and bodabodas are succeeding in Uganda is because they're individual and small,” Bakirya noted. “We need to change the mindset. A smallholder farmer is individual and small. How do we build on a farmer who works 80 percent?” She challenged the audience. 


Bakirya further opined that for a smallholder farmer, a hoe does 80 percent of the work and the role of stakeholders was how to help them improve. “Without understanding smallholder farmers, products will come and go (without making impact),” she warned. 

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