LEST YOU FORGET, WEEKLY NEWS UPDATES Edition (IX) 2024
AGROREF
UGANDA
YOU
HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW; WEEKLY AGRICULTURE –COOPERATIVES (AGRICO) NEWS UPDATES
LEST
YOU FORGET;
EDITION-(IX) 21ST APRIL,
2024
About
AgroRef Uganda
Agriculture Reform (AgroRef)
Uganda is a Non-Governmental and Not-for-Profit Organization focusing on
advancing agricultural policy reforms, budget advocacy; and supporting the
building of systems, fostering values of equity, accountability, transparency,
and sustainability of organisations, especially smallholder 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.
'BUDGET CUTS WILL STIFLE ANTI-TICK VACCINE PRODUCTION'
According to National Crop Resources Research Institute director general Dr Yona Baguma, there are reports that the finance ministry has reduced NARO’s budget by sh60.57b in the financial year 2024/25. Baguma says if the move is effected, the installed machinery to produce the anti-tick vaccine will be rendered idle, as there will be no fees to maintain the raw materials, the staff, as well as the machinery being installed now. Production of anti-tick vaccine is expected to kick off at the end of this April of which the first doses can be released mid-July and by January 2025, the facility will be producing 12 million doses annually to cater for the vaccination of livestock against ticks. Baguma added that after the problem has been contained, the surplus will be sold to neighbouring countries, and that will be another income-generating avenue for NARO. https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/agriculture/budget-cuts-will-stifle-anti-tick-vaccine-pro-NV_185591
MPS VISIT NARO, TALK ABOUT MANDATORY ANIMAL VACCINATION AND AFLATOXINS
On Monday, April 8, 2024, Members of Parliament on the agriculture committee visited three research institutes of the National Agricultural Research Institution (NARO). The three institutions are the Mukono Zonal Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MUZARDI), the National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLRRI) and the National Crop Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI).During the visit the MPs were taken to various installations and innovations; one of those was the National Animal Tick Vaccine plant that is in its final stages of completion at NaCRRI in Namulonge. Upon completion, the plant will produce 10 million animal vaccines monthly for cows, goats and sheep available to all farmers at affordable prices. The MPs also asked NARO to develop maize seed varieties resistant to aflatoxin. According to the Ngora District Woman Member of Parliament Stella Isodo, the new varieties could save farmers losses incurred at post-harvest and storage stages due to the formation of moulds that lead to the development of toxins in food. https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/agriculture/mps-visit-naro-talk-about-mandatory-animal-va-NV_185603
UNLOCKING AFRICA’S POTENTIAL THROUGH AGRIFOOD SYSTEMS TRANSFORMATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING
Africa holds the key to moving towards a world free from hunger and poverty. It is in Africa where enormous gains can be made, and agrifood systems transformation is the definitive foundation for the continent to realize sustainable development and modernization. This month, Ministers of Agriculture from across Africa will meet in Morocco for the 33rd Session of the FAO Regional Ministerial Conference for Africa (ARC33) on 18-20 April. It is a pivotal moment for collective action. I urge African nations to seize the momentum of agrifood systems transformation to unlock benefits across food security and nutrition, the economy and equality, the environment and resilience. At FAO, we have outlined our strategic vision for the years ahead through the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031 which centres on the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. The Four Betters are not just a vision, they are a call to action. They are the pathways through which countries can transform agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable to deliver on the commitments of the Sustainable Development Goals and the post-Malabo agenda. https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/blogs/unlocking-africas-potential-through-agrifood-NV_185473
RWENZURURU QUEEN SEEKS SOLUTIONS TO AGRICULTURE MARKET CHALLENGES
The lack of markets and low prices for agricultural products remains a stumbling block for the rebranded Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu (OBR) institution in realising the main objectives of its pillar of social-economic transformation. Dealing mainly in coffee, cotton, maize, and avocado, among other crops, most of the OBR subjects like other Ugandan citizens entirely depend on agriculture as their main source of income and in most cases face the same challenges hence keeping them in bounds of poverty. To that effect, a delegation from the OBR institution spearheaded by Queen Agnes Ithungu Asimawe on March 22, 2024, visited Njojo Agro-based Industries Uganda Ltd in Nyaruzigati village, Kyarusozi sub-county, Kyenjojo district to seek technical advice on how to overcome most of the challenges faced while dealing in agricultural products. Ithungu revealed how most people in Kasese grow a lot of avocados among other crops, harvest them in large quantities then take them to various markets with the hope of selling and getting money only to be disappointed by the lack of market or low prices offered by prospective buyers. https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/rwenzururu-queen-seeks-solutions-to-agricultu-NV_185393
GOVT TOLD TO PROMOTE IMPROVED LIVESTOCK BREEDS
Development partners in the livestock sector have asked the Government to promote improved livestock breeds to reduce the dependence of most farming households on indigenous breeds. According to Dr Emily Ouma from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILIRI), indigenous breeds are not only less productive but also have negative effects on the environment. Some studies show that the kind of feeds that livestock, especially cattle eat are later passed out in form of bad gasses such as methane, one of the contributors of global warming. Ouma made the remarks on Thursday, March 28, 2024, during the launch of the 2021 livestock census report reports, that was conducted by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. According to the report, more Ugandans are keeping indigenous goats and cows, which she said is not sustainable with the changing environment. For example, the total goat population was 17.4 million in 2021, an increase by 39.4% from 12.4 million in 2008. Of this figure, indigenous goats accounted for 97.2% of the total goat population, while exotic/cross constituted 2.8%.
AGRO CHEMICALS BOARD RETURNED TO AGRIC MINISTRY
In an ongoing rationalisation of government agencies by Parliament, the Agricultural Chemicals Control Board has been taken back to the agriculture ministry for better management. According to Parliament, there is a continued and growing presence of fake and adulterated agro-inputs on the market. The chairperson of the Parliament Agriculture Committee, Janet Okori-Moe, said that the board declined the committee’s invitation to discuss the status of the institution, the gesture indicated that they were not committed to carrying out their work. The board was established in 2007 to control and regulate the manufacture, storage, distribution trade, and importation of agricultural inputs. The establishment of the board was aimed at providing a policy framework for control and regulation, and registration of agriculture chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers, growth regulators, wood preservatives, biopesticides, and bio fertilisers, among others. Okori-Moe, however, added that the above duties are not unique adding that these can still be implemented by the agriculture ministry once it takes over the board. https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/agriculture/agro-chemicals-board-returned-to-agric-minist-NV_186302
WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME RECEIVES $11M TO SUPPORT REFUGEES IN UGANDA
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has received $11m from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to support refugees in Uganda. The additional funding brings the total support for refugees in Uganda to nearly $83m since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2023. “This contribution is undoubtedly a relief for the most vulnerable households in the refugee settlements,” said Abdirahman Meygag, WFP’s Country Director in Uganda. Close to 40,000 newly arrived refugees have been registered in Uganda since the beginning of 2024. Most of them are women, children, and older persons from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. From 2014, the number of refugees in Uganda has quadrupled from 390,000 to 1.6 million, the highest number in any African country.
RESTRICT ESTABLISHMENT OF SUGAR FACTORIES WITHOUT NUCLEAR FARMS – KAKIRA
Jinja-based Kakira Sugar Limited (KSL) has appealed to the Government to come up with a policy restricting sugarcane millers from setting up factories without a nuclear farm. According to Kamlesh Madhvani, Joint Managing Director (JMD) of KSL, setting a factory anywhere without a nucleus farm and buying from any farmer due to policy guidelines causes periods of excessive supplies of sugar, which pushes the price down and shortages in some periods, again pushing the price. He said this was not good for the country and not good for planning and often leads to inefficient use of resources, adding that Uganda needs some strategic guidelines, which should be spearheaded by the Government where sugarcane millers are compelled to have a certain amount of sugarcane within their nucleus estate of about 50% and then source the rest from our growers.
PARLIAMENT GREENLIGHTS UNMA TRANSFER TO WATER MINISTRY
Parliament has approved the transfer of the functions of the Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) to the Ministry of Water and Environment. During the plenary on Wednesday, Parliament went ahead and okayed the transfer despite explanations from Parliament’s Committee on Environment to have the Authority remain semi-autonomous due to its specialized services. Emmanuel Otaala, Chairperson of the committee said that although the transfer is intended to facilitate efficient and effective service, there was no evidence provided to the Committee on the duplicity of the functions between UNMA and the Department of Meteorology. The committee adds that UNMA’s roles are specialised and specific and not duplicated as the Ministry, adding that it was important to retain UNMA as an autonomous institution while the Ministry focuses on the development of policies. https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/agriculture/parliament-greenlights-unma-transfer-to-water-NV_186135
HOW FOOD WASTE IS MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO GREEN HOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Dr. Antonio Querido, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) country representative in Uganda, says food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions emitted during the production, transportation, packaging, storage, and preparation of food. He says when food is wasted, it means there is no benefit from the emissions and this increases the environmental footprint. Querido told Weekend Vision that when wasted food rots, it produces a greenhouse gas called methane, which has a higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide. Global food loss and waste generate about 8% of total greenhouse gas emissions annually. However, several strategies to mitigate its environmental footprint include responsible production, such as producing for the market and volumes that farmers can easily handle without getting spoilt, which is key to reducing food waste at production sites. Farmers need to practice recommended agronomic practices to increase the quality of their produce and reduce the quantities rejected by consumers and processors. https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/agriculture/how-food-waste-is-major-contributor-to-green-NV_186026
REVENUE SHARING TO END CATTLE MARKET WRANGLES AT UGANDA-DRC BORDER
Kasese district's Mpondwe Lhubiriha town council and Isango sub-county leaders have for long wrangled over the management of the cattle market at the Ugandan-DR Congo border. Part of the dispute is over who takes the lion's share of the collected revenue from the sale of livestock at the facility. With an annual revenue of shillings 500 million to one billion, the leaders have on many occasions disagreed over the location of the cattle holding market so as to gain the capacity to collect the huge revenue. This has seen the market at some point operate at Isango and most times in Mpondwe after the intervention of various authorities including security, political leadership, and the local government ministry. https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/revenue-sharing-to-end-cattle-market-wrangles-NV_185987
RWAMIRAMA LAUNCHES TASKFORCE TO ADDRESS TSETSE FLY THREAT
Animal industry state minister Lt Col Bright Rwamirama has launched a 12-member task force to contain tsetse flies and trypanosomiasis across the country. The task force was launched on Monday, April 15, at the Ministry of Agriculture offices in Entebbe Municipality. Led by Dr John Patrick Kabayo, other members of the task force include, Dr Maxwell Otim, Lawrence Tusimomuhangi, Dr Patience Rwamigisa, Albert Mugenyi, Carolyn Nakyeyune, Kenneth Mugabi and Julius Mugonza. Others are Stephen Kayongo, Bethy Ansimire, Dr Robert Wangoola, Dr Charles Wamboga and Fred Luyimbazi. According to Rwamirama, the government is aware that trypanosomiasis in livestock is widespread in most areas of the country, especially the cattle corridor. It was noted that tsetse flies, as vectors, are responsible for sleeping sickness in humans and Nagana in livestock. https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/rwamirama-launches-taskforce-to-address-tsets-NV_185943
REFUGEES, OPM CALL FOR EXTENSION OF EMPOWERMENT PROJECT
Beneficiaries of a refugee-empowerment project, the leadership, and the Office of the Prime Minister in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement are calling for its extension. According to the stakeholders, the move will curtail the rate of starvation with associated malnutrition, which has continued to increase in Rhino camp Refugee Settlement. The starvation, they say, has been compounded by the reduction of food ration and complete weaning off of some refugees in the region by the United Nations World Food Program. OPM and refugee beneficiaries' appeal for an extension as the three-year multispectral response to meet the basic humanitarian needs of people affected by displacement and vulnerable host communities in Africa project comes to a close. The economic empowerment project, which has transformed the lives of over 14,000 refugees, was implemented by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) with funding from the German Ministry of Foreign Office (GFFO). https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/refugees-opm-call-for-extension-of-empowermen-NV_185931
CO-OPS TIPPED ON TRANSFORMATION THROUGH AGRICULTURAL TOURISM
The Uhuru Institute for Social Development is rallying cooperatives to invest in tourism as a way of diversifying and increasing their incomes. This move also has the objective of growing Uganda’s domestic tourism as well as promoting agro-tourism. Leonard Okello, the Chief Executive Officer at the Institute says this was one of the reasons that they decided on a fully paid trip for the most innovative cooperative society, to one of the top tourism centres in the country. Okello said this is expected to open up opportunities for the societies that, after appreciating the tourist attractions in Kabalega Falls National Park Kiryandongo district, can find a way of developing an integrated agricultural/tourism project. This will then be used as a pilot project and to attract others to do similar projects and activities in their areas, according to Okello, who said it was high time that cooperatives ventured into modern and nontraditional activities, and not just agriculture.
https://www.independent.co.ug/co-ops-tipped-on-transformation-through-agricultural-tourism/
PARLIAMENT REJECTS NAADS, UCDA MERGER
Parliament has rejected a government proposal to merge the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), the Cotton Development Organization (CDO) and the Dairy Development Authority (DDA), into the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF). The legislators’ decision was premised on the justification that the four agencies do not meet the qualifications suggested under the rationalisation policy. The MPs argued that the agencies such as UCDA and DDA are critical in generating both domestic and foreign revenue and that their mandates do not overlap. “Under DDA dairy exports have tripled from Shs287.4 billion to Shs976.4 billion between 2019 and 2023. In the financial year 2022/2023, milk powder was the most exported product accounting to 54 percent of the total exports followed by UHT milk at 33.1 percent,” said Hon. Janet Okori-Moe, the Chairperson Committee on Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. https://www.independent.co.ug/parliament-rejects-naads-ucda-merger/
UDB IN JOINT PARTNERSHIP WITH TOP INSTITUTIONS TO TRAIN WOMEN, YOUTH ENTREPRENEURS
291 enterprises across the country are to benefit from the first phase of the Enterprise Development Program that commenced Tuesday, courtesy of Uganda Development Bank and other organisations. The program’s focus is on training in management best practices, debt management, good governance, record keeping, and financial management among others, areas that are considered critical for Ugandan entrepreneurs. The program is designed to prepare enterprises to become investor ready, with the ability to successfully market themselves to larger investors or to attract cheap and patient capital. Alan Joshua Mwesiga, the UDBL Director Strategy and Corporate Affairs, who represented Managing Director Patricia Ojangole, said the initiative will provide capacity-building training and offer technical support to develop and implement the required processes in the businesses, with the objective to have professionally run businesses that survive the test of time and are investor ready. https://www.independent.co.ug/udb-in-joint-partnership-with-top-institutions-to-train-women-youth-entrepreneurs/
NSSF FUNDED COMPANY TO MARKET FARMERS’ PRODUCE
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has urged Uganda to ensure that climate change prevention and mitigation measures are at the heart of the country’s development agenda, especially in agriculture. Antonio Querido, the FAO Country Representative in Uganda says the country is among the most vulnerable and that there is need to put adequate focus on areas that may enhance this vulnerability. He was speaking at the 2024 Agribusiness Mkutano, under the theme “Cultivating Resilience: Agribusiness and Climate Finance as an Anchor for Sustainable Economic Growth in Uganda” in Kampala, Tuesday. “The intersection of agribusiness in climate finance represents a critical leverage point in enhancing Uganda’s economic sustainability and resilience,” he said. Querido discussed the critical role of climate finance in addressing economic and sustainability challenges. He insisted that FAO vertical funds can contribute to building resilience in the agribusiness sector, while the agency can coordinate with government bodies, financial institutions and local communities to make climate finance more accessible for smallholder farmers. https://www.independent.co.ug/nssf-funded-company-to-market-farmers-produce/
MANDELA MILLERS GETS ISO 22000 CERTIFICATION FOR FOOD SAFETY, QUALITY ASSURANCE
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has certified and awarded Mandela Millers with an ISO 22000 certification for its food safety and quality standards. Patricia Bageine Ejalu, the Deputy Executive Director of Standards at UNBS, represented the Executive Director at the award ceremony held at the company’s premises in Busega. She highlighted that Mandela Millers has implemented comprehensive control measures throughout its processing cycle to ensure that food safety is monitored from start to finish. This certification is internationally accredited, making Mandela Millers’ food products not only safe for Ugandans but also for consumers worldwide. Bageine emphasized that Mandela Millers has minimized food contamination to zero by scrutinizing inputs, equipment, cleanliness, employee competence, and maintaining meticulous records at every stage of production. She urged companies in the food sector to take responsibility for their processes and ensure the quality of their products, rather than waiting for government intervention.
The United States is providing more than 25 million dollars (about 95.3 billion shillings) in refugee and food security assistance to Uganda. The aid which is part of the US government commitments, is channeled through its foreign development agency, USAID, and the Department of State. This is in addition to humanitarian funding to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Food Program (WFP) to assist refugees in the country “facing ongoing food insecurity and the compounding impacts of conflict in the region,” says USAID Spokesperson, Jessica Jennings. USAID is providing 11 million dollars to WFP, while the Department of State is contributing more than 14 million dollars to UNHCR. “These additional contributions to WFP and UNHCR will support the provision of life-saving monthly food assistance, health care, education, and other emergency relief to the more than 1.6 million refugees that Uganda hosts,” she said in a statement. This comes as the country, Africa’s largest host of refugees, has in recent months seen an increased influx of refugees. Last year alone, more than 130,000 new refugees crossed into the country, primarily fleeing conflicts in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Sudan. The US urged other countries to also step up their humanitarian assistance to Uganda in these areas.
https://www.independent.co.ug/u-s-govt-gives-to-uganda-shs-95-billion-for-refugees-assistance/
KENYA FERTILISER SCANDAL NEWEST THREAT TO RUTO’S FOOD AGENDA
A substandard fertiliser scandal involving Kenyan officials and companies contracted by the government to supply subsidised farm input for the current planting season is threatening to wreck President William Ruto’s plan to improve the country’s food security. Tests by Kenya’s standards body found the fertiliser supplied by at least two of the companies, and some of which has been distributed to farmers across the country, was substandard. Some Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) officials have been suspended for having issued quality marks to the firms at the centre of the substandard fertiliser scandal. The matter is currently under investigation by Parliament and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/kenya-fertiliser-scandal-newest-threat-to-ruto-s-food-agenda-4588890
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