Govt told to increase agric funding

Nov 18, 2008

INADEQUATE funding to the agriculture sector has hindered agricultural productivity, the animal husbandry state minister has said.

By Francis Kagolo

INADEQUATE funding to the agriculture sector has hindered agricultural productivity, the animal husbandry state minister has said.

Speaking at Speke Resort Munyonyo recently, Bright Rwamirama said: “We do not have money to provide people with water for agricultural production. Besides, we mostly depended on donor funds.”

He called for more funding to the sector so as to fight poverty.
“Agriculture in Uganda is implemented in remote areas with hardly any infrastructure and it is susceptible to weather vagaries.

About 70% of Ugandans are involved in subsistence farming yet this is the sector that would have moved the masses out of poverty,” the minister said.

The theme for the conference, attended by over 200 agricultural experts from east and southern Africa, was: “Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) – the Future for Sustainable Agricultural
Development.” The minister hailed the International Fund for Agricultural development (IFAD), a UN agency for investing $454m (about sh771.8b) in agricultural activities.

He urged the Government to develop agricultural policies, improve infrastructure, train farmers and invest in agro-processing and research.

“The Government can no longer expect things to just happen in the agricultural sector. It has to play an active role in promoting value-addition and agro-processing,” he stressed.

Fred Rubarema, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, called for the improvement of the agricultural sector so as to eradicate poverty.

He asked the Government to address the challenges that small holder farmers face, as well as support upcoming large scale farmers.

The participants called upon African governments to implement the Maputo Declaration of 2003, which calls upon governments to increase funding to the agricultural sector to at least 10% of their budgets.

IFAD Africa director Ides de Willibois promised to continue supporting more agricultural activities.

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