Commissioner Bambona calls for improved household nutrition and food security

The Assistant Commissioner, food and nutrition security in the Agriculture Ministry, Alex Bambona has urged for improvement of food and nutrition supply in households.

Bambona was speaking during a three-day workshop on strengthening the roles of post-harvest handling and agro-processing in Kampala. Sasakawa Africa Association organised the workshop that is aimed at equipping farmers with knowledge on post-harvest and agro-processing. Pius Wakabi, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture gave a keynote address during the opening of the workshop.

"The overall objective of the agriculture policy is to achieve Food and Nutrition security and improve household incomes through coordinated interventions and transforming subsistence farming to sustainable commercial agriculture," he said.

Bambona said to some extent the agriculture sector has fairly put in place necessary policies and institutional structures at the national level to handle its mandate under the policy.

Sasakawa Association Africa Country director Dr. Roseline Nyamutale said the organisation addresses issues of inadequate post-harvest-oriented extension staff in the communities and inferior post-harvest practices, tools, and technologies.

"As Sasakawa Association Africa, we address issues of lack of knowledge and skills on post-harvest handling and processing for value addition among the rural farmers, Poor quality of the grain/produce resulting into low incomes, post-harvest losses and food security," she said.

Nyamutale said they have supplied drying and storage materials (tarpaulins and hermetic bags) now known by the farmers, and established linkages with 12 technology suppliers and 10 locally-based technology fabricators to aid farmer's needs.

She said there is an increase in the income of smallholder producers due to improved agro processing management skills.

"One maize shelling service provider in Apac for example reported an income of sh4,200,000 in one season (2 months) in 2018. On-farm hermetic storage with improved management has reduced post-harvest losses due to insect infestation (more than 95%); this has also encouraged storage of grain for home consumption thereby improving food security," Nyamutale said.