Agriculture ministry launches new sh2.49 trillion strategy
THE agriculture stakeholders’ forum to spearhead implementation of a development strategy and investment plan to boost the sector has been launched.
By Ronald Kalyango
THE agriculture stakeholders’ forum to spearhead implementation of a development strategy and investment plan to boost the sector has been launched.
The five-year strategy to run from 2009 to 2015, seeks to increase the sector’s growth from the current 2.6% to 6% annually. The strategy, which was launched by Hope Mwesigye, the agriculture minister at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala over the weekend, will cost sh2.49 trillion.
Agriculture production and productivity programmes will be allocated 64% of the funds, 23.7% for improved market access, 7.8% for the sector’s enabling environment and 3.9% for institutional strengthening.
Mwesigye said under the strategy, each farm household will be required to adopt enterprises which can fetch them a gross income of sh20m annually.
“When we get the funds and support farmers, I am sure we shall achieve our strategy objectives,†said Mwesigye.
She, however, regretted that over the years, production of crops like cotton, bananas and cassava have been decreasing.
Rice, maize, millet, sorghum, tea, livestock and milk on the other hand have recorded significant increases. Mwesigye said between 2004 and 2008, maize output increased from about 1.1 million metric tonnes to 1.3 million and rice from 121,000 metric tones to 162,000.
Banana output fell from 9.7 million metric tonnes to 9.4 and cassava fell from 5.5 million metric tonnes to 5.1.
THE agriculture stakeholders’ forum to spearhead implementation of a development strategy and investment plan to boost the sector has been launched.
The five-year strategy to run from 2009 to 2015, seeks to increase the sector’s growth from the current 2.6% to 6% annually. The strategy, which was launched by Hope Mwesigye, the agriculture minister at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala over the weekend, will cost sh2.49 trillion.
Agriculture production and productivity programmes will be allocated 64% of the funds, 23.7% for improved market access, 7.8% for the sector’s enabling environment and 3.9% for institutional strengthening.
Mwesigye said under the strategy, each farm household will be required to adopt enterprises which can fetch them a gross income of sh20m annually.
“When we get the funds and support farmers, I am sure we shall achieve our strategy objectives,†said Mwesigye.
She, however, regretted that over the years, production of crops like cotton, bananas and cassava have been decreasing.
Rice, maize, millet, sorghum, tea, livestock and milk on the other hand have recorded significant increases. Mwesigye said between 2004 and 2008, maize output increased from about 1.1 million metric tonnes to 1.3 million and rice from 121,000 metric tones to 162,000.
Banana output fell from 9.7 million metric tonnes to 9.4 and cassava fell from 5.5 million metric tonnes to 5.1.