MAAIF, World Bank to take weather information to farmers

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Uganda is expected to experience more rains than last year, according to the latest Uganda National Meteorology Authority (UNMA) report. However, much as this information was released to the public, stakeholders believe such information is not reaching the targeted beneficiaries, who are farmers in rural areas.

For example, the information was channeled through emails, WhatsApp groups and X, formerly Twitter. To make it worse, the information is in English and in scientific terms, making it hard for even the elite farmers to understand the it.

Although some media houses went ahead and interviewed officials from UNMA, that alone may not be sufficient for farmers to access weather-related information, which is now key, since the country, just like other parts of the world, are fast experiencing effects of climate change.

If farmers have accurate weather information in the simplest terms, it guides them to plan better for their farming cycle. Failure to plan in agriculture amidst the changing weather, will lead to unsustainable food production, according to Dr Agnes Kalibata, the President of AGRA Africa.

She adds that climate change is not going away soon hence the need for accurate correct information: 

“We do have a lot of information for example weather information exists. So, how do we make sure that this information becomes available to communities or countries for the sector to attract more investments,” Kalibata said recently.

What could be the intervention?

The above questions are what the Government, with funding from the World Bank, is to address in the next six years to increase access to simplified and timely weather information for the farming community.

This will be possible through the World Bank-funded project dubbed: The Uganda Climate-Smart Agricultural Transformation Project (UCSATP). The six-year project worth $354.7 million will not only support access to information, but also other areas under different components.

The project will be implemented by the agriculture ministry (MAAIF) and its agencies including the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), the National Animal Genetics Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC &DB) and UNMA.

While unveiling the project to stakeholders at Speke Resort Munyonyo recently, agriculture permanent secretary Maj. Gen. David Kasura Kyomukama said the project will work through five components, including access to weather information.

According to Eng Boniface Okanya, the project co-ordinator, the plan is to get experts from the UNMA to work with those from the agriculture mministry to develop targeted weather information or alerts, and also make it available to farmers.

“Why it is climate resilient is that we are coming in to ease access to information by farmers by working with a team from meteorology so that as a farmer you are assisted to analyse weather information and decide whether to plant, harvest or even travel,” he added.

Okanya added that by working with UNMA, they will develop the technologies that will provide early warning to farming communities so that farmers are aware of the chaining patterns.

“In the past, if you wanted to get information about weather, you had to go to the district weather station, or watch TV. We are saying not all farmers can wait, let us have this information now,” he said.

To increase access to the information, the two teams from MAAIF and UNMA will develop technologies through simplified information that will be channeled to quickly get to the farmer.

“These could be through SMS on all types of phones, short messages on radio, TV, so that the alerts that come on your phone or what you learn from radio can help you prepare for existing weather challenges,” Okanya added.