By Lominda Afedraru
[rt_dropcap_style dropcap_letter=”U” dropcap_content=”GANDA’S agricultural sector is massive, producing a range of commodities for local markets and the entire Great Lakes region, including Kenya. As such investors consider Uganda’s agricultural potential to be among the best in Africa, with low temperature variability and two rainy seasons leading to multiple crop harvests per year.”]
As such investors consider Uganda’s agricultural potential to be among the best in Africa, with low temperature variability and two rainy seasons leading to multiple crop harvests per year.
Background
According to the 2019 publication by Export.Gov based in the US about Uganda’s agricultural sector potential in food production, quoting figures from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the country’s fertile land can feed 200 million people. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics estimates that agriculture employs about 72 per cent of Uganda’s working population.
Maize production
National Crops Resources Research Institute Director Geoffrey Asea says Uganda has solid research systems, which work with partners to deliver technologies to farmers at the grassroots coupled with vibrant private sector-led initiatives.
The seed systems of all crops are well catered for by more than 40 certified seed companies most of them grow maize and process seed for farmer use including processing maize flour for export.
Some of the maize grains and processed flour are exported as relief food by the World Food Programme to various countries in the region. Several farmers are based in the Amuru district in northern Uganda where the land is fertile.
According to Dr Asea, most farmers engaged in maize growing have embraced the best agronomical practices, right from land tilling, and seed prioritisation to weeding. However, despite the success, there are still challenges of pests and diseases, especially maize stalk borer destroying the cobs.
Other farmers have failed to embrace standard postharvest handling, especially when there is an abrupt change in the climate with rains dropping during the dry season. Others are a lack of high-quality packaging capabilities, poor storage facilities and high freight costs for exports that go beyond Kenya.
There is also very limited use of fertiliser use by farmers in semi-arid areas.
Market access technologies
Experts in information technology (IT) have developed apps to help farmers share knowledge about their produce in a bid to access the market for their products One such platform is by experts from the Eastern and Southern Africa Small-Scale Farmers (ESAF) Forum Uganda, which has developed the KilimoMart App, which provides farmers and those engaged in the agricultural value chain information about best farming practices and markets in the country and the entire East African region.
Oming David, the programmes assistant at ESAF and the lead KilimoMart designer, said the main aim for developing the app was to tackle challenges around agronomy practices and market access by farmers in East Africa. “What prompted my team to develop this app is that many small-scale farmers, especially women are not benefiting from the EAC integration.
During the harvest season, many brokers invade farming communities and buy off their produce cheaply. Many small-scale farmers, he adds, also lack information to help them in their production process. There was, therefore, the need for access to the market that led to the development of the KilimoMart App and website,” he said. Small-scale farmers and other users are able to visit the Googleplay store and install the app which they can instal on their smartphones. It has a provision for smallscale farmers and other users to upload their agricultural products, including the prices.
There are a number of such apps and farmers can choose which one to utilise as long as they have the knowledge about it. This enables them tap into regional markets. Other technologies include radio talk shows, use of instant mobile phone messages and WhatsApp groups that link farmers to available markets.