East African Business Week

KAMPALA, UGANDA -  The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has set aside funds for rehabilitation and agricultural development in Uganda that are aimed at enhancing food security in the country and region at large.
Of the Ush32b ($14m) that has already been secured, Ush22.8b ($10m) is meant for emergency and rehabilitation programmes in Northern Uganda and Karamoja while Ush9.4b ($4.1m) is for regular development programmes in the country.
This excludes Ush13b ($5.7m) that are in the pipeline due for approval.
The Ush22.8b ($10m) earmarked for northern Uganda and Karamoja will be divided as such; Ush17b ($7.3m) will be committed to northern Uganda and Ush5b ($2m) will be used for development projects in the Karamoja region.
Mr. Percy Misika, the outgoing FAO representative in Uganda told the media in Kampala last week that the funds will be used to implement 1,600 Farmer Field Schools through which over 48,000 farmers will be provided with agricultural inputs, investment grants and training in agronomic and animal husbandry practices.
The Farmer Field schools (FFS) approach is a community-based participatory learning process built upon the principles of adult education.
FFS participants are organized in small groups of approximately 30 farmers who work together to identify and solve problems, learnt about and adopt improved agricultural production techniques and develop new income generating activities to supplement household income.
The approach is being adapted to various beneficiary situations including emergency and rehabilitation context in northern Uganda, pastoral and agro pastoral communities in Karamoja and children orphaned by war and/or affected by HIV/AIDS to ensure the link between emergency, relief and development.
Misika also announced that northern Uganda is no longer dependent on food aid and is thus becoming an important link for trade between Uganda and Southern Sudan as well Congo and that is why new agricultural techniques have to be adopted to supplement household income.
"People of northern Uganda can be said to be generally food secure and the region is slowly assuming its previous role as a food basket as not only does it supply internal markets, but external ones as well," he said.
Misika also said that FAO had linked up with Centenary Bank to provide farmers with financial services including easy access to loans.
During the same function, Misika also disclosed that through a technical corporation project that promotes better fishing and processing technologies for sliver fish (mukene), FAO has introduced a new fishing technology to Uganda called Catamaran.
The Catamaran technology, involves two boats tied together like a single hull and powered by a single engine. The fishing gear is a lift net with an opening of eight square meters and a depth of eight meters and a bag in which the silver fish collects. Four pressure lamps are used and a crew of four people hauls the net.
This technology that is popularly used in Kenya and Tanzania has been introduced to Uganda through the above project.
Misika also said that the Catamaran has the ability to move offshore where there are more fish instead of onshore where there is less fish.
Misika, whose term of office expires this month, commended the media for highlighting the challenge of food security in the country.
He will replace former agriculture minister, Ms. Victoria Sekitoleko, as FAO representative to China, North Korea and the Mongolia area.