The Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has kicked off a sensitisation campaign and profiling of farmers across the country through the the Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE).
While flagging off the team on Wednesday, the MAAIF minister Frank Tumwebaze said NFFE was to find reliable and suitable data that can be be used in profiling Uganda’s agriculture sector.
According to minister Tumwebaze, in the first quarter UNFFE is expected to provide reasonable data about the profiles of each sub region by finding the dominant enterprises, production levels, food security situations, farmers’ attitudes, lifestyles, challenges faced by farmers among others.
The minister noted that the federation was offered shs1.5bn to cover over 70% of the country which is cheaper as compared of multiple outreaches in terms of workshops.
“We don’t have enough money as agriculture that’s why we are coming up with strategies in a way of hitting many birds with one stone,” he remarked.
Tumwebaze also revealed that MAAIF decided to partnered with UNFFE because it’s the farmers’ federation that may make it easier to access reliable data regarding to agriculture for the sustainable development.
Dr. Dick Kamuganga the UNFFE president noted that the federation will use this partnership and support to raise the flag of MAAIF even higher.
“You are already doing great work which we do appreciate and now with the launch of this partnership, be assured that your work is going to be more visible and more appropriated by the farmers,” Kamuganga assured.
The UNFFE boss said they are looking at a long term partnership that will put the farmers at the centre of most of the government programmes that will ensure more acceptability of such programmes as well as their sustainability.
“Therefore it is our sincere hope that this partnership will add value to the great work MAAIF is already doing and we also hope that the activities we are going to implement will go beyond what is on paper and what has been planned,” he concluded.
MAAIF is UNFFE’s mother ministry and a key partner in the implementation of projects and programmes. The mandate of the ministry is to formulate, review and implement national policies, plans, strategies, regulations and standards as well as enforce laws, regulations and standards along the value chain of crops, livestock and fisheries.
The ministry is also responsible for the enhancement of crop production and productivity, in a sustainable and environmentally safe manner, for improved food and nutrition security, employment, widened export base and improved incomes of the farmers.
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