Agriculture Cluster Development Project

In 2017, the Agriculture Cluster Development project of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries initiated project activities in five pilot districts of Amuru, Ntungamo, Nebbi, Iganga, and Kalungu. The process involved engagement with line ministries, private sector, civil society organizations, farmers, farmer associations, and agro-input dealers. This was followed by engagement with district leadership, including LCV chairpersons, Resident District Commissioners, Chief Administrative Officers, District Production Officers, District Engineers and farmer representatives in the pilot districts. The objective was to sensitize and prepare district officials for project implementation at the district and sub-county levels. Subsequently, five MAAIF/ACDP teams undertook engagement meetings at the district and sub-county levels. The first roll out to 19 districts took place in the mid-2019. The districts included Masaka, Mpigi, Rakai, Bugiri, Namutumba, Nwoya, Gulu,...

Introduction The second half of the year 2019 recorded unusually high rains in most parts of Eastern Africa that had not been seen in many years. These rains incidentally fell also in the semi-arid traditional Desert Locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) breeding ecological areas of Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. The favourable conditions facilitated further locusts breeding, multiplication and spread into Kenya. Facts about the Desert Locust Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a species of short- horned grasshopper family. It is characterized by its nature of high mobility (migratory) and broad-spectrum feeding habits. Locust Status/ Phases Locusts have the ability to alter their behavior, color, size, and shape. When the population density is low, locusts behave as individuals, when the population is high, they swarm and migrate. The locust life cycle comprises three stages of egg, hopper, and adult and it lives a total of three to six months. Locust...

I ntroduction The Agricultural Cluster Development Project (ACDP) is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) with support from the World Bank. The objective is to raise on-farm productivity, production, and marketable volumes of five selected priority agricultural commodities (maize, beans, rice, cassava, and coffee).   In 2017, ACDP started with five pilot districts of Ntungumo, Amuru, Kalungu, Nebbi and Iganga, and by December 2019, mobilization and sensitization had commenced in 34 roll-out districts. The smart e-subsidy program is implemented in three cropping cycles, is time-bound and declines through the cropping cycles. In season one government grants 67% subsidy, in season two 50% and in season three 37%. After the third cycle, the farmer is expected to have graduated both financially and in knowledge to effectively afford the full cost of the inputs and therefore requires no subsidy. Access to the inputs is through the...

Introduction To develop a Geographic Information System (GIS) Knowledgebase for MAAIF, a stakeholder a consultative workshop was organized to assess GIS data availability and needs in the different MAAIF sub-sectors.  Thereafter a field data exercise would be organized to collect geographic location information for the Agriculture Cluster Development Project interventions implemented. The objective of the consultative workshop was to; -        Assess the availability of GIS data. -        Assess the data needs if the different MAAIF sub-sectors. -        Create a common understanding of GIS principles. -        Assess the capacity to use GIS techniques. What is Geographical Information Systems (GIS)? A geographic information system is a framework for gathering, managing and analy...

T he DATs innovation challenge was organized by the World Bank- Uganda and the Agriculture Cluster development project to discover and link Disruptive Agricultural Technology (DAT) solutions to challenges faced by the e-Voucher system. The event was  held on the 19 th  of November 2019 at the Speke Resort Munyonyo, Uganda. The Permanent Secretary MAAIF and World Bank Uganda Officials  pictured  with Innovation Challenge finalists- Speke Resort Muyonyo. The e-Voucher system is the instrument for providing a time-bound, partial, and diminishing matching grant for the purchase of key farm inputs. Farmers contribute towards the purchase of key inputs needed to intensify the production of one of the prioritized commodities, on one acre of their farms and improve post-harvest handling through investing in farm-level storage. Eligible farm households receive an e-Voucher that covers part of the expense involved in the purchase of a group of inputs (...

Introduction The Agricultural Cluster Development Project (ACDP) is a six-year development project implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries and funded by the World Bank. It is implemented in 12 geographical clusters covering 55 districts. The project targets the development of five commodities of Maize, Rice, Beans, Cassava, and coffee. The objective of the project is “ To raise on-farm productivity, production, and marketable volumes of selected agricultural commodities in specified geographical clusters” Project components The project has four key components Component 1: Support to the intensification of on-farm production Component 2: Value addition and Market Access Component 3: Policy, Regulatory and Institutional support Component 4: Coordination and Management, and ICT Platform Project beneficiaries  The project target to reach 450,000 farmers, especially smallholders, and other value chain actors at the local, distri...