By EPRC The Uganda government has again ignored calls to increase funding to the country’s agriculture sector disappointing majority of the public. The budget allocation to agriculture as a share of the national budget remains low in financial year 2013/14, at 3.4 per cent(Ush403.1bn) of the national budget. Public spending on agricultural sector in Uganda is still too low to meet the country’s commitment to the Maputo Declaration of 10pc. The Economic Policy Research Centre, during a national consultative meeting on June, urged government to increase funding for agriculture and at least honour its commitment to the Maputo Declaration. The budgetary allocations to the agricultural sector over ten years (2001/02 to 2011/012) have generally fluctuated between 3 and 5 per cent. And most funds are disbursed as small discrete projects whose contribution is not impact and nor sustainable. In the financial year 2010/11, the budget allocation to agriculture sector was only five per ce

By EPRC Researchers in higher institutions of learning in Uganda are demanding for an extra-ordinary pay rise to about $17,000, almost doubling what the best paying country in the World, Canada offers for their best brains. The Ugandan researchers want pay for the best brains in their faculty pegged to the best paid civil servant. The best paid civil servant in Uganda, the Executive Director of Kampala City Council Authority, earns Ush43 million (about $17,000). They also propose government to boost research and development to one per cent of Gross Domestic Product. They argue that for Uganda should enhance research to join the global knowledge economy. The researchers say they are uncomfortable with Makerere University’s proposal of 100 per cent salary increment. “100 per cent salary increment by Makerere is too modest,” said Julius Kiiza, a senior researcher with Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), a prominent local think tank in Uganda. Kiiza, an associate

Uganda is at the verge of losing the East African seed market unless government implements a very stringent legal framework to stop sale of fake seed. The country, reportedly has weak inspection machinery—hardly any government inspection is done on seed farms where seed multiplication takes place. The Economic Polic Research Centre, at a national debate to finds ways of reorganizing the agriculture sector for higher production on June 6, warned that Kenya would eventually stop buying Ugandan seeds. According to Julius Kiiza, a senior researcher at the Economic Policy Research Centre, Kenya has maintained restrictions on accessing Ugandan seed. “KEPHIS (Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service ) insists it cannot allow Uganda seed into Kenya unless it conducts its own on-sight inspection,” he said. KEPHIS is a regulatory agency for quality control of agricultural input and produce in Kenya. The agency coordinates all matters relating to crop pests and disease contro

Uganda’s milk production has reached 1.9 billion litres rising prospects for more large scale investments in the diary industry. The country’s Minister for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries revealed that the growth in the number of heads of cattle was the main cause of milk production. “Livestock sector is doing better. Milk production has gone up significantly-1.9bn litters of milk. All animals are going up in terms of numbers. There are now 14 million heads of cattle,” said Hon Tress Bucyanayandi during the Agriculture and Food Security Forum on the theme, “Unlocking the export potential of Uganda’s agriculture sector,” chaired by the Economic Policy Research Centre on June 6, 2013 and held at Hotel Africana in Kampala, Uganda. The consultative meeting, which brought together about 200 stakeholders, was the first of its kind to generate meaningful debate on the future of the agriculture sector in Uganda. For the last 15-years, Uganda milk production has be

By EPRC Uganda government has setup a committee to begin reviewing agriculture extension services to reach farmers better after identifying various contradictions in the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) program set up in 2001. The committee has began work and is expected to come up with a better model, according the Minister for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Hon Tress Bucyanayandi. “We are embarking on institutional reforms. NAADS was a project supposed to transform agriculture and help us. I think some of the decisions taken at that time may have been correct but they have been tested and are not working today,” the Minister said during the Agriculture and Food Security Forum on the theme, “Unlocking the export potential of Uganda’s agriculture sector,” held on June 6, 2013 at Hotel Africana in Kampala, Uganda. It is expected that reforms may include privatization of funding, delivery of extension services, and decentralization of authority

By Charles Kazooba A close analysis of the agriculture sector in Uganda indicates declining exports despite the East African country having the greatest potential and comparative advantage to produce and export agricultural commodities.  Uganda is at the verge of losing its status as a food-producing superpower in the region and needs a drastic overhaul of its agricultural policy if it hopes to compete in the East African markets and feed more of its own people. The argument is that the existing policies have not specifically focused on increasing investments to increase agricultural exports. For instance, the current five-year Agriculture Sector Development Strategy and Investment Plan (DSIP) does not provide a clear investment plan to target and increase production and export of agricultural commodities. The share of primary agricultural commodity exports in total exports is declining—from 61 per cent in 2005 to 46 per cent in 2008. Therefore to increase

Uganda has run out of improved seed. About 80 per cent cannot access improved seed in the country because of limited technology, government has alerted. The country’s Minister for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Tress Buchanayandi says all seed varieties are insufficient yet government lacks resources to produce better seed varieties. “In terms of technology we are critically short of improved seed. We don’t have enough seed for all sort of things that we plant like maize, beans, banana suckers, cassava cuttings ,” he said during a national forum on agriculture on June 6 in Kampala where stakeholders were mobilized to determine the future of agriculture. “So this is a huge area for investment,” the Minister said. The Minister said he had tabled a request before Cabinet for more funding and he hopes for positive response. “Recently, I wrote a paper and discuused it at Cabinet level. They appreciate it I hope they will give us some money to buy improv

By Charles Kazooba The Economic Policy Research Centre has asked government to begin licensing only credible suppliers of agriculture inputs. A senior researcher at the think tank has also proposed that licensed firms dealing in   planting and stocking materials be compelled to work closely with agricultural research institutions. “Any other firm trading in planting and/or stocking materials but not licensed to trade in agriculture inputs should beunder appropriate laws enacted for this purpose,” said Mr Lawrence Bategeka during the National Agriculture Forum on June 6 in Kampala. There is growing concern that the majority of agro-inputs on the market in Uganda are counterfeit. It is believed that 60 per cent of chemicals and 20-30 per cent of seed sold in several outlets is not genuine.   Because majority of farmers cannot differentiate between the genuine and counterfeit products, they innocently buy the fake products and at high prices. This partly account

By EPRC For the last eight years Uganda has not attracted any investors in the flowers industry, a sign that the sector is not doing well and in dire need of government intervention. Worse still seven flower farms closed down due to the global economic downturn leaving the country with only 15 farms with 250 hectares production area. Yet export of flowers brings into the country’s economy $20m through taxes, wages and infrastructure development. Compared to Ethiopia, a recent entrant in the industry, over 1000 hectares have been farmed for flowers while Uganda still farms 250 hectares for the last two decades inspite of subsidies provided by government like a 10-year tax holiday, land lease at nominal rates with green house infrastructure, 70 per cent investment loans at six per cent interest rate and subsidized air freight. Juliet Musoke, the Chairman, Uganda Flower Exporters’ Association, attributed Uganda’s poor performance to absence of an industry’s specific i

A lively debate on the future of Uganda’s agriculture sector has kicked off in Uganda with a larger section of the stakeholders at the first forum calling for the overhaul of the policy framework to pave way for improved yields and income. Spearheaded by the Economic Policy Research Centre, a local think tank, the first debate attracted about 200 participants who attended the Agriculture and Food Security Forum on the theme, “Unlocking the export potential of Uganda’s agriculture sector,” held on June 6, 2013 at Hotel Africana in Kampala, Uganda. Uganda, which largely depends on agriculture with official statistics indicating that about 60 per cent of exports are agriculture-based, is in dilemma due to policy failure underpinned by disharmony and clash of mandates between implementing bodies. The forum provided a platform for key government officials, relevant donor partners, actors along the value chain, the private sector and farmer organizations to dialogue on means t