Govt to launch climate smart agriculture to tune of $350M in northern Uganda

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government has announced plans to initiate an agricultural mechanization project aimed at improving crop production, known as ‘Climate Smart Agriculture.’ State Minister for Agriculture, Fred Bwino, made this revelation on Wednesday while addressing farmers in Nwoya district.

Minister Bwino revealed that the project, valued at US$ 350 million, received Cabinet approval last week and is now awaiting parliamentary endorsement for immediate implementation. ‘Climate Smart Agriculture’ will target 18 sub-regions, including Acholi, Karamoja, Lango, and West Nile sub-regions.

Under the project, the government will establish a mechanization center in each of the targeted sub-regions. These centers will feature large earth-moving equipment such as bulldozers, graders, and combined harvesters, which will be easily accessible to the districts without the need to travel to Kampala.

Additionally, the project will provide tractors, offer training for farm machine operators, establish a training center for mechanics, and create a garage for equipment repairs. Minister Bwino emphasized that this initiative will address the challenges of underutilized land by farmers, the scarcity of farm machinery, and the absence of heavy machinery at the regional level.

Emmanuel Orach, the Nwoya district chairperson, had previously requested the government, through Minister Bwino, to provide the district with road machines, which they currently lack. He also called for the provision of tractors to help farmers maximize land utilization

Christopher Omara, the Nwoya Resident District Commissioner, expressed concern about the underutilization of land among farmers and urged the government to expedite policies related to irrigation to ensure consistent crop production.

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