By Prossy Nandudu
The World Bank has extended $354.7 million to the Ugandan Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, to support increased production, market access and resilience of selected agriculture value chains to crisis and emergences due to climate change.
Of the $354.7m, $325 million is Credit from the International Development Association of the World Bank and $25 million Grant from the Window for Host Communities (WHR) while $4.7 million counterpart funding is from the government of Uganda.
While unveiling the package on Tuesday at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Maj Gen. David Kasura-Kyomukama said the project will help government to identify, develop, and increase the adoption of climate smart agriculture technologies and management practices for sustainable production and increased incomes at house hold level while enhancing resilience to climatic shocks.
The Project termed as the Uganda Climate-Smart Agricultural Transformation Project (UCSATP) is a six year project that will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and its agencies such as the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO); the National Animal Genetics Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC &DB) and Uganda National Metereological Authority (UNMA)
Implementation will take place across the 13 agro-ecological zones of the country including the seven refugee hosting districts.
What the program will do.
In particular, the project will strengthen Climate-Smart Agricultural Research, Seed and Agro-Climatic Information Systems.
It will promote the adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture Technologies and Practices which will include the construction and equipping of the mechanization centers to increase uptake of agricultural mechanization and labor-saving technologies, Provision of Irrigation and Water for Agricultural Production among others.
The project will also address market linkages for selected value chains, through increased access to climate smart harvesting, postharvest handling, storage, value addition. Under this component, there will be rehabilitation of farm to market access roads, purchase of cold chain and value addition equipment among others.
Targeted value chains include crop, livestock and fisheries. Under crop, the project will work with Citrus, Mangoes, Cocoa, Coffee, Avocado, Cashewnuts, Cassava, Sorghum, Soybean, Maize, Bananas, and Vegetables
Livestock: Dairy and Beef, Apiculture (Beneficial Insects) while fisheries the project inventions will be in Capture Fisheries and Aquaculture
Targeted beneficiaries
Kasura added that at the end of the project, about 760,000 households (3,900,000 individuals) should have benefited directly and indirectly benefit approximately 1,900,000 households (9,500,000 individuals), he added.
While launching the project, the Minister of Agriculture Frank Tumwebaze said the project will help government move away from dependence on food crops that are prone effects of climate change, for the Agro Industrialization Agenda to be realized.
