Agriculture mechanisation will boost farmers
Jul 10, 2008
President Yoweri Museveni recently launched the Tractor Assembly line at the Akamba Workshop. This has followed a successful joint partnership between National Enterprise Corporation and Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company to form a new company, UGIRAN, which would assemble and market Massey Furgus
Henry Kityo
President Yoweri Museveni recently launched the Tractor Assembly line at the Akamba Workshop. This has followed a successful joint partnership between National Enterprise Corporation and Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company to form a new company, UGIRAN, which would assemble and market Massey Furguson tractors for farmers.
Agricultural mechanisation involves the application of farm power with a view to achieve output, reduction of drudgery, improve products and the timeless delivery of various forms of operation.
Agricultural tractors were introduced in Uganda in 1949 under a special development section of the Department of Agriculture to promote the production of food crops, cotton, sugarcane and tea. Two years later, the government managed a tractor hire service which collapsed in the I 970s due to mis-management.
During the time, Uganda had food security and there was a boom in cash crops like coffee, cotton and tea. In northern and eastern Uganda, cotton is a leading crop because after harvesting cotton, farmers can grow millet, simsim, sorghum and sweet potatoes. Without cotton, crops suffer, and this causes food shortages.
There is an argument that small holdings do not need tractors. But when land on small holdings is deeply ploughed, utilisation of essential minerals and high yields soil and water management is efficient, resulting in good agriculture practice.
Of the 17 million hectares of a rabble land, we have only cultivated 27%, leaving 73 of good land in the bush. Only 15% of farmers are medium commercialised farmers, while the rest are peasant farmers, hence they cannot own tractors even if they joined small cooperatives.
There is need to reintroduce the tractor hire service managed by the private sector or well organised farmers organisations.
There is also need to establish a tractor credit line under poverty eradication fund or the food security fund.
Uganda has the capacity to feed East and Central African countries. We have big orders of cereal in the Middle East to feed animals and poultry but we can not respond.
The cross border trade can not be satisfied and even the domestic market has a deficit of supply.
The national agricultural budget should, therefore, be increased to address these challenges.
The writer is a founding member of the Uganda National Farmers Federation
President Yoweri Museveni recently launched the Tractor Assembly line at the Akamba Workshop. This has followed a successful joint partnership between National Enterprise Corporation and Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company to form a new company, UGIRAN, which would assemble and market Massey Furguson tractors for farmers.
Agricultural mechanisation involves the application of farm power with a view to achieve output, reduction of drudgery, improve products and the timeless delivery of various forms of operation.
Agricultural tractors were introduced in Uganda in 1949 under a special development section of the Department of Agriculture to promote the production of food crops, cotton, sugarcane and tea. Two years later, the government managed a tractor hire service which collapsed in the I 970s due to mis-management.
During the time, Uganda had food security and there was a boom in cash crops like coffee, cotton and tea. In northern and eastern Uganda, cotton is a leading crop because after harvesting cotton, farmers can grow millet, simsim, sorghum and sweet potatoes. Without cotton, crops suffer, and this causes food shortages.
There is an argument that small holdings do not need tractors. But when land on small holdings is deeply ploughed, utilisation of essential minerals and high yields soil and water management is efficient, resulting in good agriculture practice.
Of the 17 million hectares of a rabble land, we have only cultivated 27%, leaving 73 of good land in the bush. Only 15% of farmers are medium commercialised farmers, while the rest are peasant farmers, hence they cannot own tractors even if they joined small cooperatives.
There is need to reintroduce the tractor hire service managed by the private sector or well organised farmers organisations.
There is also need to establish a tractor credit line under poverty eradication fund or the food security fund.
Uganda has the capacity to feed East and Central African countries. We have big orders of cereal in the Middle East to feed animals and poultry but we can not respond.
The cross border trade can not be satisfied and even the domestic market has a deficit of supply.
The national agricultural budget should, therefore, be increased to address these challenges.
The writer is a founding member of the Uganda National Farmers Federation