The State Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Fred Bwino Kyakulaga, has emphasized Uganda’s transition to a programmatic approach in agro-industrialization, marking a significant shift from the sectoral approach.
Speaking at the two-day Joint Agro-Industrialization Program’s Annual Review Conference, Minister Kyakulaga noted that the move aims to enhance value addition and improve the country’s economic growth.
“We are progressively transitioning from the sectoral approach to the programmatic approach to planning, budgeting, implementation, and reporting,” he said.
The Minister acknowledged that the transition may face challenges, with some lingering behaviors still rooted in the sectoral approach. However, he emphasized that this is a healthy sign of growth and urged stakeholders to work together to achieve the program’s objectives.
The review meeting marks the first round of emphasis on value addition, as Uganda prepares to launch its fourth National Development Plan (NDP4). Minister Kyakulaga stressed that the focus on value addition will create more jobs and improve the living conditions of Ugandans.
“As we come to the end of the third National Development Plan, we are launching ourselves into the fourth National Development Plan, with more emphasis on value addition to create more jobs and improve the conditions of our people,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Maj Gen David Kasura Kyomukama, highlighted the successes and challenges of Uganda’s agro-industrialization program. He noted that the program has seen significant improvements in agriculture productivity, production, and exports.
“Agriculture grew by 6.8% this year, exceeding the projected 6.3%,” he said. “Our agriculture exports now stand at $4.3-4.8 billion, more than doubling the $2.3 billion recorded at the beginning of the program.”
He added that the program has also improved seed breed resilience, value addition, and job creation, with many young people employed in factories and other agricultural ventures.
The LC5 Chairperson Isingiro District, Mr. Alone Turahi, is optimistic about the new climate smart agriculture program, which is set to succeed the stalled Sustainable Development Project (SDP).
“We had so many projects, for example, in my district, which were implemented, including SDP, much as it stopped on the way when people still had expectations,” he said.
He expressed hope that the program will be successful, saying, “We are waiting eagerly to see whether it will work because SDP stopped.”
He also emphasized the need for continued support for small-scale irrigation schemes in the district, which have been instrumental in helping farmers cope with dry spells.