Will NAADS bring food security?
Jul 19, 2008
ABJECT hunger and poverty mitigation is the top most agenda on the Millennium Development Goals and sub-Saharan African countries are of most concern to the G8 countries and the European Union.
By Vernon Tugumizemu
ABJECT hunger and poverty mitigation is the top most agenda on the Millennium Development Goals and sub-Saharan African countries are of most concern to the G8 countries and the European Union.
According to the environment minister, Maria Mutagamba, this mitigation is to be achieved by a combined effort of both Uganda and the development partners who fund most of the various government projects like the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) that is sponsored by a consortium of seven donors—IDA, IFAD, EU, DFID, DANIDA, Irish Aid and The Netherlands. In October 2007, cabinet embarked on restructuring NAADS to what is now the ‘new Naads.
According to the state minister for agriculture Fred Mukisa State minister for Agriculture, the ‘new NAADS’ is meant to address the weaknesses that were intrinsic in the NAADS design and implementation. And this time round, Ugandans, through the Integrated Support to Farmer Groups (ISFG) will access new breeds of animals, improved seeds for better farm inputs; which all aim at increasing household incomes, food security and agriculture commercialisation.
Mukisa revealed this when he was presenting a paper at the Naads West Buganda Regional Consultative Workshop at Hotel Brovad on July 4.
However, my worry was that the government has introduced the spray of DDT which various health departments say has been approved by the World Health Organisation to fight malaria by killing mosquitoes. I asked the environment minister whether DDT wold not affect our produce on the international market much as the new NAADS is to promote agro-processing and agro-commerce.
Mutagamba’s reply was: “But you always eat apples from South Africa, yet South Africa sprays DDT twice a week.†She challenged me causing a round of applause. She maintained that the government is aware of good precautionary measures in using DDT.
With the food crisis posing a global concern, it is high time we massively invested in food security as a national priority. this includes food saving to help in times of crisis.
Not too long ago, during the Kenyan political upheaval caused by the disputed elections Uganda suffered a lot because we did not have adequate oil reserves! fuel was extremely and prices of all commodities went through the roof. Granaries (ebitara in Runyankole) in some local homesteads are still in existence but empty!
This is because the government has not emphasised their importance. People have embarked on saving money through the Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations under Gen Caleb Akandwanaho.
But how far can we revive cooperatives under the new NAADS to ensure that every household has enough food to by 2015? Some countries have shown great interest in investing in African soils for their biofuel projects but our leaders must be mindful of conserving our natural resources.
Our forests must not be cut down by the so-called investors who want to plant sugarcane for bio-ethanol. they must be preserved to enable our soil support an increasing population.
Our soil is fertile enough but the issue is how we utilise it through soil research in District Research Centres. Will the the new NAADS enable us to do this?
The writer is the public relations officer of Rushenyi Peace for Nature
Our columnist John Nagenda will back next week
ABJECT hunger and poverty mitigation is the top most agenda on the Millennium Development Goals and sub-Saharan African countries are of most concern to the G8 countries and the European Union.
According to the environment minister, Maria Mutagamba, this mitigation is to be achieved by a combined effort of both Uganda and the development partners who fund most of the various government projects like the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) that is sponsored by a consortium of seven donors—IDA, IFAD, EU, DFID, DANIDA, Irish Aid and The Netherlands. In October 2007, cabinet embarked on restructuring NAADS to what is now the ‘new Naads.
According to the state minister for agriculture Fred Mukisa State minister for Agriculture, the ‘new NAADS’ is meant to address the weaknesses that were intrinsic in the NAADS design and implementation. And this time round, Ugandans, through the Integrated Support to Farmer Groups (ISFG) will access new breeds of animals, improved seeds for better farm inputs; which all aim at increasing household incomes, food security and agriculture commercialisation.
Mukisa revealed this when he was presenting a paper at the Naads West Buganda Regional Consultative Workshop at Hotel Brovad on July 4.
However, my worry was that the government has introduced the spray of DDT which various health departments say has been approved by the World Health Organisation to fight malaria by killing mosquitoes. I asked the environment minister whether DDT wold not affect our produce on the international market much as the new NAADS is to promote agro-processing and agro-commerce.
Mutagamba’s reply was: “But you always eat apples from South Africa, yet South Africa sprays DDT twice a week.†She challenged me causing a round of applause. She maintained that the government is aware of good precautionary measures in using DDT.
With the food crisis posing a global concern, it is high time we massively invested in food security as a national priority. this includes food saving to help in times of crisis.
Not too long ago, during the Kenyan political upheaval caused by the disputed elections Uganda suffered a lot because we did not have adequate oil reserves! fuel was extremely and prices of all commodities went through the roof. Granaries (ebitara in Runyankole) in some local homesteads are still in existence but empty!
This is because the government has not emphasised their importance. People have embarked on saving money through the Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations under Gen Caleb Akandwanaho.
But how far can we revive cooperatives under the new NAADS to ensure that every household has enough food to by 2015? Some countries have shown great interest in investing in African soils for their biofuel projects but our leaders must be mindful of conserving our natural resources.
Our forests must not be cut down by the so-called investors who want to plant sugarcane for bio-ethanol. they must be preserved to enable our soil support an increasing population.
Our soil is fertile enough but the issue is how we utilise it through soil research in District Research Centres. Will the the new NAADS enable us to do this?
The writer is the public relations officer of Rushenyi Peace for Nature
Our columnist John Nagenda will back next week