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The government of the Russian Federation has committed to helping Uganda to develop its agricultural industry and improve output for both domestic and international markets.

According to the Director of the Institute of Africa, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Irina Abramova, this is not only meant to speed up economic growth and job creation in the country, but will also help to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.

She stressed the value of increasing funding for agriculture because it makes a big contribution to the country’s GDP and largely raises the standard of living for its citizens.

The agriculture industry contributed roughly 24.1% of the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 33% of export revenues during the Financial Year 2021/22.

The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) estimates that 70% of Uganda's working population is involved in agriculture, mostly on a modest or subsistence scale.

“Russia is one of the nations with cutting-edge agriculture technology. We feel that Uganda, as one of our steadfast partners, can gain from these technologies to expand its agricultural sector,” Abramova noted.

Russian soil scientists from Lomonosov Moscow State University and Farmers after a field soil sampling tour in Masindi, Kabale and Pallisa as part of a joint project with Makerere University, aimed at enhancing intergrated soil management technologies to increase crop production in Uganda. (Courtesy Photos)

In a statement by several Russian Scientists issued today, they encouraged Uganda to make the most of the upcoming Second Russia-Africa Summit, which is planned for July 27–28, 2023, in Moscow.

“Uganda has a wonderful chance to reach and support agreements that will enhance commerce between the two nations, especially in the agriculture sector where it has an edge over other nations,” Abramova continued.

The President of the Russian Association of Fertilizer Producers (RAPU), General Director of Fosagro, Andrei Guryev, underlined that his country is ready to share and promote the best practices, expertise, methodologies, and approaches in order to increase the quality and production.

Majority of farmers in the Uganda continue to be affected climate change, especially smallholder farmers who rely significantly on rain.

Due to fraudulent and costly inputs on the market (seeds, arcaricides, and fertilizers), this has over time also resulted in low productivity and occasionally excessive total losses to many farmers.

In an effort to increase the resilience of smallholder farmers in the country, the Ministry of Water and Environment last year launched a Small-Scale Irrigation Program, powered by solar energy.

The government it to build 70000 small-scale irrigation systems across the nation, to boost agricultural productivity.

Russian soil scientists from Lomonosov Moscow State University get soil samples provided by farmers in Masindi as part of a joint project with Makerere University aimed at enhancing intergrated soil management technologies to increase crop production in Uganda.

Guryev said Uganda can also set up facilities for the nation's domestic fertilizer production.

“The typical Ugandan farmer finds it difficult to obtain these fertilizers, but one of the major suppliers that ship them into Uganda and other countries is Russia. We have come to realize that domestic production would make it affordable and easily accessible to all farmers if production cane be made locally,” he continued.

He emphasized that in addition to fertilizers and large gear, facilities to locally make herbicides, insecticides, and other chemicals can also be supported to reduce import costs and advance agriculture.

He added that this can also generate a market for local raw resources, in addition to providing jobs.

Since the country’s emphasis is on the mechanization of agriculture, Guryev says they intend to collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture to see how they can be of support in the provision tractors, harrows, and ploughs, that the communities may utilize for extensive farming.

“We are also looking at helping Uganda set up a laboratory to implement soil management,” he added.

Sergey Shoba, Dean of the Faculty of Soil Science, Moscow State University, clarified that soil laboratories can easily aid in learning about soils so that one is more effective.

As part of a collaboration with Makerere University, a team of soil scientists from Lomonosov Moscow State University recently paid a visit to Uganda for a joint project towards enhancing improve integrated soil management techniques to boost crop output in Uganda.

The researchers traveled around the nation collecting soil samples, which they will analyze and report on soon. 

When the Russian-Ukraine war broke out, there was a shortage of fuel, wheat, sunflower, and fertilizer which drove up the cost of goods, in the country and other parts of the world.

Due to the war, Uganda’s fertilizer imports from Russia fell to $0.4 million (or approximately Sh1 billion) in the quarter ending in June 2022, from $6 million (or about Sh22 billion) in 2019.

According to the official, all of these commodities can be produced locally and enhance exports with the help of automated agriculture and the available inputs.

In 2020, Russia comprised the biggest share of wheat imports to Uganda with a share of 33 percent (approximately $50m).

However, in the quarter ending March 2022, Uganda recorded no wheat imports from Russia, only to recover in June 2022 with imports worth $1.3m.

The value of Uganda’s coffee exports to Russia reduced from $7m in 2020 to $3m in the quarter ending June 2022, as a result of the war.