Sasakawa president calls for mixed models for Uganda’s agric transformation

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The President of Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA), Shuichi Suzuki, has called for a mixture of models and approaches that will transform Uganda’s agriculture sector.

He observed that whereas Uganda’s economy is dependent on Agriculture, the farming community still faces challenges such as climate change shocks, limited market access, and financial exclusion in addition to limited investments in value addition.

To deliver this transformation, Suzuki said that SAA-Uganda is deploying a mix of innovative models that prioritise commercial, inclusivity and resilience by working closely with the farmer, cooperatives, village agents, markets, digital entrepreneurs, among others, to reach out to the most remote production areas.

“We have shifted from isolated interventions to building ecosystems bolstered by value addition centres, mechanisation services models, soil health diagnostics and linkages to financial services and smart climate inputs, all designed to strengthen farming as a business, “he said.

He made the remarks on Thursday during a partner’s stakeholder meeting at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kampala. Suzuki, who has been in Uganda for one week, also visited selected villages across the country to understand how Sasakawa is working with farmers to ensure agricultural transformation. Suzuki was accompanied by Dr Mel Oluoch, the Strategic Partnership Director at SAA and other administrators based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

MEL Oluoch, SSA Strategic Partnership Director, listens to a SAA Uganda. (Courtesy)

Stakeholders in the meeting included mechanisation service providers in machinery, solar, digital tools, financial institutions, government, farmers, including young entrepreneurs, operation wealth creation, and Ministry of Agriculture officials, among others.

During the meeting, farmers demanded quality seed from seed sector players in the meeting and also asked for more seed to be extended to places such as the Karamoja sub-region, which is prone to effects of climate change, like prolonged drought that often results in starvation of both livestock and humans, leading to death.

Commenting on the requests, Conny Acayo, Assistant Commissioner for extension services in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, called on farmers to make use of government initiatives such as the Parish Development Model to secure some money that can be ploughed into the farming systems.

Acayo also advised farmers in need of irrigation facilities to look out for the government’s subsidised agriculture irrigation services, where a farmer has to part with a certain percentage in order to get an irrigation kit of their choice.

Fact file

The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) focuses on enhancing agricultural development in Africa through various roles.

These include: supporting smallholder farmers, increasing their income, improving food and nutrition security, promoting market-oriented agricultural innovations, and building the capacity of farmers and extension agents.

SAA also works to promote sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices.

Sasakawa Africa Association is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

SAA also has offices in Nigeria, Mali, and Uganda.