Govt targets 50,000 farmers in new irrigation drive
The final phase of the roadmap will focus on increasing private-sector investment, improving the efficiency of existing irrigation schemes and transferring mature infrastructure to community management.
Allan Ollando, Senior Engineer at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), makes a presentation during the Agri-Connect stakeholders’ consultation in Kampala. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
________________ Kunduz Masylkanova, Senior Agriculture Economist at the World Bank Group, follows proceedings during the Agri-Connect stakeholders’ consultation in Kampala. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
The Government is reviewing its irrigation delivery framework to increase access to water for production, reach more smallholder farmers, and attract private sector investments under the Agri-Connect initiative.
The move targets at least 50,000 smallholder farmers cultivating more than 100,000 hectares of land through affordable solar-powered irrigation systems and shared community water resources, according to Allan Ollando, a senior engineer at the ministry of agriculture.
Agri-Connect is a World Bank Group initiative aimed at transforming smallholder farming, create jobs, and strengthen global food security.
The new roadmap spearheaded by the agriculture ministry seeks to address the high cost of irrigation equipment, bureaucratic delays and limited access to financing, which have slowed the uptake of irrigation despite strong demand among farmers.
The strategy was presented by agriculture ministry officials during an Agri-Connect stakeholders' consultation at Golden Tulip Hotel in Kampala today (August 20).
Ollando said current public irrigation interventions reach only about 7,000 farmers across the country.
Under the irrigation component, the Government plans to simplify administrative procedures, streamline tax waivers on imported irrigation equipment and address procurement bottlenecks that delay implementation.
The strategy also seeks to promote blended financing, with financial institutions encouraged to develop affordable credit products to help farmers overcome the high upfront cost of irrigation machinery.
Ollando said the Government will also decentralise irrigation service delivery by strengthening the capacity of local governments.
Some of the participants attend the Agri-Connect Compact stakeholder engagement at Golden Tulip Hotel in Kampala. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
Infrastructure investment
According to Ollando, the roadmap will also prioritise the construction of 150 valley tanks in the cattle corridor and rehabilitation of 30 dams.
"The first phase covering the next two years will focus on assessing the performance of existing irrigation schemes, mapping groundwater resources, scaling up smallholder-friendly “plug-and-play” irrigation technologies and mobilising private financing," he said.
He said the second phase, running from 2028 to 2031, will involve scaling up proven technologies and constructing medium- and large-scale irrigation schemes.
"The phase will also strengthen operations and maintenance systems to ensure the sustainability of irrigation infrastructure," Ollando stated.
The final phase will focus on increasing private-sector investment, improving the efficiency of existing schemes and transferring mature infrastructure to community management.
The consultation, which opened on Tuesday, August 18, is organised by the agriculture ministry in partnership with development partners, including the World Bank.
It is aimed at identifying high-impact investments in agriculture as well as policy and institutional reforms that can increase private-sector participation, strengthen agribusiness, and mobilise investment across key value chains.
The consultation has brought together officials from World Bank, the academia, and private sector.
Participants were tasked with identifying policy changes needed to accelerate irrigation adoption over the next five years, reducing the cost of irrigation technologies and exploring ways public-private partnerships and blended financing can help bridge the sector’s funding gap.
Facts on irrigation in Uganda
Uganda has about 24.2 million hectares of arable land, but only 8.4 million hectares is currently being utilised.
About 3.03 million hectares are considered irrigable under the country's irrigation policy, while irrigation coverage has increased from 1.1% when the policy was formulated to about 1.5% currently.
The Government has set a target of 1.5 million hectares under irrigation by 2040.
Agriculture contributes 24.7% of Uganda's Gross Domestic Product and employs about 75.4% of the formal and informal workforce. About 71% of the country's exports are agricultural products, although only about 24% are processed.
The agriculture ministry says irrigation can help increase agricultural yields, create jobs, improve food security and enable farmers to produce throughout the year.
About 800,000 young people enter the job market annually, while only about 90,000 are absorbed into formal private-sector employment.
The country also faces persistent food insecurity, with about 30% of the population estimated to experience chronic food insecurity.
The ministry argues that irrigation can help address some of these challenges by increasing productivity and opening opportunities for commercial agriculture.