AGRICO NEWS UPDATES-LEST YOU FORGET-EDITION(III) 2024
AGROREF UGANDA
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO
KNOW; WEEKLY AGRICULTURE –COOPERATIVES (AGRICO) NEWS
LEST YOU FORGET; EDITION-(III) 05th Feb-11th Feb
2024
About AgroRef Uganda
Agriculture
Reform (AgroRef) Ugandaa is a Non-Governmental and Not-for -Profit Organization
focusing on advancing agricultural policy reforms, budget advocacy; and
supporting building of systems, fostering values of equity, accountability,
transparency and sustainability of organisations especially small holder farmer
organizations including but not limited to agricultural cooperatives using a
Human Rights Based Approach.
AgroRef Uganda
compiles news from different media houses and outlets that have been published
during the week and shares them with our key stakeholders. The purpose is to
keep farmers updated and informed of the operating environment in the country.
aBi-Trust,
NMG to boost women, youth projects
The Agricultural
Business Initiative (aBi-Trust) and the Nation Media Group Uganda (NMG-U) are
planning for sustainability programmes targeting the social inclusion of women,
youth, and refugees.
The Chief
Executive Officer of aBi-Finance Ltd, Ms Mona Muguma Ssebuliba, said the two
companies have registered success in joint implementation of programmes such as
Seeds of Gold farm clinics, climate change symposia, and the Covid-19 recovery
programme.
She said the two
companies are now targeting vulnerable groups and underserved areas such as
northern and eastern Uganda.
“Why a
partnership like this is necessary is because of social inclusion for refugees,
youth, women, and underserved regions such as north and eastern Uganda.
Smallholder farmers will always remain a focus area, as well as partnerships to
access finance,” Ms Ssebuliba said.
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/abi-trust-nmg-to-boost-women-youth-projects-4522178
UGANDA, DR CONGO EXCHANGE FISHERMEN ARRESTED OVER ENCROACHMENT
The FPU also
returned several fishing gear, including 68 boat engines, seven boats, and 67
fuel tanks. On the other hand, the Congolese authorities released 16 boat
engines, five boats, and 10 fuel tanks that had been seized from Ugandan
fishermen.
The UPDF’s
Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) has released 14 Congolese nationals who were
under custody after being apprehended from various points on the Ugandan side
of Lake Edward.
In reciprocity,
four Ugandan nationals, who had been arrested by DR Congo security for
encroaching on DRC waters on Lake Edward, were also released. The handover
ceremony took place at Katwe K'abatooro Town Council in Kasese District on
Friday.
The FPU also
returned several fishing gear, including 68 boat engines, seven boats, and 67
fuel tanks. On the other hand, the Congolese authorities released 16 boat
engines, five boats, and 10 fuel tanks that had been seized from Ugandan
fishermen.
UGANDA SWITCHES ON LAST UNIT OF KARUMA DAM
Uganda borrowed
85 percent ($1.44 billion) of the $1.7 billion project cost from China’s
Eximbank for the construction of the dam.
Uganda on Tuesday
launched the last unit of the six turbines at the Karuma hydro-power plant,
according to Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL).
The 600MW dam is
located on the Nile River in Kiryandongo district 270km north of Kampala. The
first unit of the power plant completed its trial run and grid connection tests
on March 21, 2023.
Financed by the
Export-Import Bank of China, the dam is critical in meeting the region’s
increasing electricity demand in efforts to accelerate industrialisation.
It has been
touted as the project that will reverse the high cost of power that is
impacting the government’s industrialisation drive as well as increase the
country’s capacity to export power, even though it comes with more debt
repayment pressure, energy economists say.
The dam is poised
to generate power for export to South Sudan, about 180km away, and the
Democratic Republic of Congo, about 200km away.
https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/uganda-switches-on-last-unit-of-karuma-dam-4520724
LANGO CULTURAL LEADERS ACCUSED OF AIDING LAND GRABBERS
Widows in Lango have accused Cultural leaders in Lango of
mismanaging land disputes. They say the leaders have tended to side with
individuals seeking to dispossess them of customary land.
The widows
sounded the alarm during a meeting held in Ayer sub-county in Kole District.
They said while the leaders are expected to help resolve disputes over
customary land, a majority of them have become key perpetrators in grabbing and
selling of land.
During the
meeting, two clan leaders admitted to receiving “compensation” after the sale
of customary land. Vincent Ebwoga confirmed that their standard percentage
compensation is 50 percent from any sale of land while Tony Okot cited one
percent as their standard rate, something which the locals denied.
However, Patrick
Abal, the Awitong (clan head) of the Arak-Ongoda clan believes that
generalizing all clan leaders as perpetrators of this crime was unfair saying
in other clans, the leaders are working tirelessly to protect the widow’s right
to land.
https://www.independent.co.ug/lango-cultural-leaders-accused-of-aiding-land-grabbers/
The National
Agricultural Research Organization has signed cooperation agreements with 10
seed companies through which it will multiply and disseminate authentic and
certified seed varieties developed by the organization.
According to
NARO, the signing of the agreements was a step in ensuring farmers got the
right and genuine seeds, a development that would contribute to improved food
production not only for the country’s food security but also for export.
Dr. Sylvester
Dickson Baguma, NARO’s Intellectual Property Management Committee (IPMC)
chairman said it was also part of the effort to commercialize research
outcomes, a move that would help earn NARO a stipend from its work and also
make research, a key component of NARO’s agenda a sustainable one. The
organization’s intellectual property arm, NARO Holdings Limited is key in this
area.
The companies
that signed cooperation agreements add to the list of thirteen that had already
signed similar agreements, making a total of twenty-three companies.
https://www.independent.co.ug/naro-accredits-10-companies-to-supply-seed-varieties/
The debate on the
Sugar (Amendment) Bill, 2023 has been deferred after the House failed to agree
on the funding of the proposed Sugar Council, which if the bill is passed, will
be the regulator of the sector.
The Sugar Act,
2020 created the Sugar Board as a regulatory organ but due to government’s
rationalisation policy that halted the creation of such bodies, the board has
never been established.
Government is now
proposing the council which will be funded by a sugar levy charged on millers.
The proposal for
funding of the council sparked a heated debated with several Members of
Parliament advocating for reinstatement of the Sugar Board.
https://www.independent.co.ug/debate-on-bill-deferred-over-funding-of-sugar-council/
GOVT TO IMPORT 10 MILLION VACCINES TO CONTROL CATTLE DISEASE
Government is set
to import 10 million doses of vaccines to enable scaling up of ring vaccination
as the fight to eradicate Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Ugandan cattle enters
a new phase.
Cabinet chaired
by President Yoweri Museveni on Monday also proposed that once ring vaccination
is complete, farmers start paying for the FMD vaccines in a compulsory
vaccination scheme, and thereafter, trade in animal products, will be
restricted to those adhering to the plan.
Minister of
Agriculture, Animal industry and Fishers Frank Tumwebazwe on Monday shared the
resolutions after Cabinet laid out strategies to contain the disease that has
hit 36 districts.
Cabinet agreed to
create a revolving fund to enable procurement of sufficient FMD vaccines to
facilitate compulsory bi-annual vaccination of the susceptible domestic animal
population. It also approved a plan for farmers to pay for the vaccines while
government covers other costs.
“Vaccination is
to be made compulsory. Proof of vaccination will be a precondition for any
farmer to sell any animal products,” said Minister Tumwebazwe.
https://www.independent.co.ug/government-to-import-10-million-vaccines-to-control-cattle-disease/
I’M AN UNHAPPY FRUIT FARMER — VP ALUPO
Five years after
the establishment of the Soroti Fruit Factory, Alupo explained that she is
among the many farmers in Teso and neighbouring areas asking questions about
why the factory had failed to absorb the fruits.
Alupo, who was on a fact-finding mission to establish the cause for the
factory's failure to buy fruits that people have planted nearly in every home
in Teso, interfaced with the factory management on Thursday afternoon.
“I’m not a happy farmer because I was disappointed by the prices of fruits,
both oranges, and mangoes and I belong to the group of those farmers who are
still asking questions about when the factory will absorb fruits from farmers,”
Alupo said.
https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/im-an-unhappy-fruit-farmer-vp-alupo-NV_180785
CENTRAL BANK MAINTAINS POLICY RATE AT 9.5%
The Bank of
Uganda has Tuesday maintained its policy rate at 9.5%, citing subdued inflationary
pressures in the economy.
Deputy Bank of
Uganda governor Michael Atingi-Ego said the easing inflationary pressures in
the economy reflects “the continuing vanishing effects of supply-side shocks,
declining inflation around the world and tight monetary and fiscal policies.”
Both headline and
core inflation in January rose to 2.8% and 2.4%, from 2.6% and 2.3%
respectively according to data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.
https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/business/central-bank-maintains-policy-rate-at-95-NV_180600
WHY FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE
HAS PERSISTED FOR
Poor hygiene and lack of adherence to the set livestock movement
limitations are the main drivers of recurrent Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in
the country. A major FMD outbreak was first recorded in Uganda in 1953 and
since then, the disease has been recurring, with the recent outbreak reported
in December last year. According to veterinary experts, the disease is easily
spread through the movement of sick animals from one place to another, and this
is worsened by the mode of transport – the trucks – that carry the cattle from
one place to another.
HARVEST MONEY EXPO: NAADS TO
SHOW OPPORTUNITIES FOR COST-SHARING WITH FARMERS
The NAADS Executive Director, Dr. Samuel Mugasi, has encouraged
stakeholders in the agricultural sector to benchmark from the Harvest Money
Expo 2024 to propel agricultural transformation. He reveals that the Expo, held
under the theme: Farming as a Business, Post-Harvest Handling, and Innovations,
provides a platform for agricultural stakeholders to share relevant information
that can bolster the sector. The event, organised by Vision Group in
partnership with the Embassy of the Netherlands, will take place at the Kololo
Independence Grounds from February 23–25. NAADS is among the sponsors of the
Expo alongside Engineering Solutions (ENGSOL), dfcu Bank, Koica, and Techno Serve.
“Information is key in any critical decision-making process. The
expo brings farmers, buyers, exporters, and processors, among others, together.
We are eager to share with them because our main job is to give farmers vital
information for better performance,” he says.
AGRICULTURE SECTOR ONLY
ACCOUNTS FOR 4% OF TAX REGISTER
The
agriculture sector contribution to the revenue collection is still very
minimal, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has noted.
The sector only accounts for 4% of the tax register with only 38,528 registered
for taxes by FY 2022/2023, of which 96% are engaged in crop and animal
production, 2% in forestry and 2% in fishing and aquaculture. To change this
scenario, URA is engaging farmers in West Nile Group to transform their
livelihoods through utilisation of the various tax incentives that are applicable
to the agricultural sector.
This took place at a 3-day tax hub on Agri-business and Renewable Expo at the
OPM grounds in Arua City. This hub aimed at educating, promoting awareness, and
improving compliance in the Agribusiness area.
ICC PROSECUTOR WANTS COURT TO
TRY 'ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES'
The
International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor told AFP on Wednesday that he
wants the tribunal to start trying suspects for "environmental
crimes" without having to modify its founding statutes.
Karim
Khan said chemical attacks or assaults on nuclear plants could come under the
existing terms of offences the court is authorised to prosecute: genocide, war
crimes, crimes against humanity or crimes of aggression.
Major
environmental destruction or pollution could therefore lead to prosecutions for
war crimes or crimes against humanity, alongside rape or the deportation of
children.
The
latter allegation was made against Russian President Vladimir Putin, against
whom the Hague-based ICC issued an arrest warrant last year.
The
ICC's Rome Statute mainly focuses on crimes against individuals or protected
objects like churches, mosques, synagogues or UNESCO heritage sites, but during
conflicts "we have to see a horizon which is more wide", Khan said.
Struggles
for resources often drive conflicts, which themselves frequently target the
environment, he said when asked if large-scale bombardment in Ukraine or Gaza
might come under the definition of environmental crimes.
EALA ASSESS POLICIES ON
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS AMONG MEMBER STATES
The
East African Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and
Natural Resources has commenced a week-long mission for an assessment of
policies and laws on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) within the East
Africa Community’s partner states.
The exercise which kicked off on February 4, 2024, will end on 9. This ongoing
assessment will cover the Republics of Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, South
Sudan, and the United Republic of Tanzania. The Committee will consider
undertaking a similar activity in DRC in the future.
To cover the six (6) Partner States within the time specified, the Committee is
divided into three Sub Committees, each sub-committee will undertake the
activity in two Partner States. Francoise Uwumukiza, the Chairperson of the
Committee on Agriculture, Tourism, and Natural Resources will lead a team of
Members to the above-mentioned member states.
These oversight activities are in line with The East Africa Treaty on
Cooperation in Agriculture and Rural Development’s aims of achieving food
security and rationalizing agricultural production across EAC.
The EAC Agriculture and Rural Development Policy (EAC ARDP) aims to attain food
security through increased agricultural production, processing, storage, and
marketing.
https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/agriculture/eala-assess-policies-on-genetically-modified-NV_180584
EXTENSION WORKERS ASKED TO
PROMOTE FERTILIZER USE AMONG FARMERS
Fertiliser
experts, ranging from researchers, manufacturers, farmers, and donors want the
Government through its extension arm to teach farmers the benefits of fertiliser
use. The intervention, they say, will increase fertiliser demand by farmers to
increase production.
Available information from researchers indicates that fertiliser use in Uganda
currently stands between 1 to 1.5 kilogrammes per hectare, which is low given
the rate at which the soil is fast losing its fertility.
In addition, Uganda loses about 80kg of nutrients per hectare per year through
soil erosion.
Given the high population that depends on agriculture, soils are likely to lose
a lot more nutrients if no action is taken, explained Dr Robooni Tumuhimbise,
the director of research at the National Agriculture Laboratories (NARL)
Kawanda.
NFA DIRECTED TO GRANT FARMERS
ACCESS TO WATER IN FOREST RESERVES
The
National Forestry Authority (NFA) should work with local communities in
Nakasongola for the two parties to co-exist.
The call was made by the deputy chairperson of Parliament’s Committee on
Environment and Natural Resources, Nathan Igeme Nabeta.
Through co-existence, pastoralist communities will have access to water for
their animals and also resolve any cases of trespass that may arise amicably.
Nabeta made the committee recommendation while presenting the report on a
petition on the deprivation of fundamental rights and freedoms on natural
resources and blockage of access routes to public water dams by the NFA and its
agents in Nakasongola District.
In the report presented on February 7, 2024, to Parliament, it was observed
that the lack of clearly designated routes for the movement of animals to the
available water sources in forest reserves exposes farmers to the risks
associated with trespass which is punishable by law.
https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/nfa-directed-to-grant-farmers-access-to-water-NV_180783
WORLD SEES FIRST 12 MONTHS
ABOVE 1.5C WARMING LEVEL: CLIMATE MONITOR
Earth
has endured 12 months of temperatures 1.5C hotter than the pre-industrial era
for the first time on record, Europe's climate monitor said on Thursday, in
what scientists called a "warning to humanity".
Storms,
drought and fire have lashed the planet as climate change, supercharged by the
naturally-occurring El Nino phenomenon, stoked record warming in 2023, making
it likely the hottest in 100,000 years.
The
extremes have continued into 2024, Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)
service said, confirming that February 2023 to January 2024 saw warming of 1.52
degrees Celsius above the 19th century benchmark.
That
is a grave foretaste of the Paris climate deal's crucial 1.5C warming
threshold, but it does not signal a permanent breach of the limit, which is
measured over decades, scientists said.
"We
are touching 1.5C and we see the cost, the social costs and economic
costs," said Johan Rockstrom, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact
Research.
"1.5
is a very big number and it hurts us really badly in terms of heat waves,
droughts, floods, reinforced storms, water scarcity across the entire world.
That is what 2023 has taught us."
Recent
months have seen an onslaught of extremes across the planet, including
devastating drought gripping the Amazon basin, sweltering winter temperatures
in parts of southern Europe, deadly wildfires in South America and record rainfall
in California.
AgroRef Uganda believes that in informed farmer is a transformed farmer.
Have a great week
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