the evolution, function and challenges of agriculture extension services in uganda

UFAAS PRESENTATION AT THE AFRICAN CENTRE FOR MEDIA EXCELLENCE FOR JOUNALISTS

Uganda Forum for agricultural Advisory ServicesWeb platform: www.networking.afaas-africa.org/uganda/

19th March 2015

By Beatrice Luzobe (Focal Person)

• Evolution and transformation (or otherwise) of agriculture extension services in Uganda.

• What issues have informed policy development?

• What does it takes to deliver quality services to the under-served public?

• Are there new approaches to agriculture extension? What lies ahead for the practice?

Uganda Forum for agricultural Advisory ServicesWebsite: www.networking.afaas-africa.org/uganda/

• Introducing agricultural transformation• The Forum (UFAAS) and its Mandate• Ongoing reforms in agricultural extension

in Uganda• What have been the Forum’s efforts• UFAAS and the Media• Discussion


• The Agricultural sector is very important to Uganda because over 73% of its population derive their livelihood from it. . The sector contributes up to 20% of the country’s GDP and close to 50% of its exports.

• Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) have an enormous task of facilitating the agricultural transformation process in Uganda.


Uganda, therefore cannot:• significantly reduce poverty, •increase per capita incomes, •and transform into a modern economy without serious focused attention on agricultural development, including extension.

Uganda Forum for agricultural Advisory ServicesWebsite: www.networking.afaas-africa.org

http://www.networking.afaas-africa.org/

• As a result of policy reforms over the past decade, agricultural extension services in many countries moved away from being solely publicly provided to pluralism.

• Resulted into increasing participation by the private sector, civil society, and farmers’ organizations and even media.

• This major shift not only brought innovations and accomplishments, but also needs and challenges.


• Unlike other professions, AEAS lacked a forum that facilitates networking, experience sharing, professional accountability of the many players that had come in.

• Hence, the formation of the Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS) which was launched in May 2011 to address this need.


• UFAAS is a country chapter of the Africa Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) in Uganda.

• AFAAS is a continental forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (40 member countries)

• AFAAS’ 4th objective is “To strengthen the capacity of country level advisory service stakeholders” Hence the Country Forum


• UFAAS is the AFAAS Country Forum in Uganda that brings together a wide range of actors/members in AEAS. – Public sector Public sector (Ministry and local government level)– Academia Academia (Agricultural Universities and Institutions)– Non-Governmental Organizations Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)– Private Sector CompaniesPrivate Sector Companies– Media Media (Print and electronic) – Farmer Organizations Farmer Organizations (FOs)


Vision: “Quality AEAS effectively contributing to

agricultural development in Uganda”

Mission: To promote an effective, efficient and

innovative AEAS system through advocacy, capacity building, information sharing and increased professional development among AAS actors in Uganda


Broad Objectives: 1. To establish and sustain an effective platform for

Advisory Agricultural Services in Uganda2. To promote professional development, information

sharing and networking among AAS actors.3. To build capacity of Agricultural Advisory Services

systems to provide innovative and client-orientated services.

4. To promote professionalism and ethical conduct in AAS systems in Uganda.

5. To advocate and lobby for an enabling environment for Advisory Agricultural Services in Uganda.


1. Institutional Strengthening2. Networking and professional interaction3. Capacity Building4. Professionalization of AAS5. Lobbying and Advocacy

– Contribute to the creation of an enabling environment for efficient and effective provision of AEAS.


Category Membership (Ushs) Subscription (Ushs)

• Individual 100,000 20,000• Institution 200,000 100,000• Associate-Individual300,000• Associate-Institution500,000• Account

– Bank –DFCU– Name- Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services– Ugx Account-01063501318146

You can register online, pay in the bank and send a scanned copy of the pay slip. A receipt will be sent to you the same way


Note: During UFAAS strategic it was noted that:1.Agricultural extension is accorded low value. 2.There are no ethics and standards to guide AEAS in the country3.There was no extension policy and the general Agricultural policy is almost silent about it.



• Currently, the policy makers and politicians are prioritizing other interventions, like distribution on agricultural inputs over and above development of farmer capacity for innovation and appropriate use of improved inputs and other technologies.

• This has led to a number of reforms within the agricultural extension services especially the rural small scale farmers



Since last year there has been:(i) Disbanding of NAADS structure at district and sub county levels and laying off all staff(ii)Transfer of the NAADS extension functions to an Extension Directorate of MAAIF at national level and to the local governments

– to eliminate the old parallel extension systems– And create a single spine system



iii. Changing the mandate of NAADS secretariat to procurement of inputs and value addition equipment to support strategic interventions in agriculture such as seedlings and breeding stock,

iv. Deployment of army at constituency level to distribute agricultural inputs, monitor and ensure that government interventions reach the beneficiaries.



• Organized a dialogue on the new direction of Uganda’s Agricultural Extension Policy– 70 participants including

reps from donor community

• Gathered more views from actors and stakeholders on reforms during AEAS national events and trainings

• Uganda Forum for agricultural Advisory ServicesWebsite: www.networking.afaas-africa.org/uganda/

• Engaged with the Policy makers (Parliamentary committee on Agriculture)– Discussion of the extension Reforms– Contribution to the Crop Variety and Health

protection bills• Participation in the Technical Round Table Meeting

on extension organized by Food Rights Alliance and VEDCO.

•


• Four papers and declaration written, published and disseminated to cabinet/ ministry, Parliament and development partners– A contextual analysis of the global and regional application of

agricultural extension and advisory systems and its implication for policy advocacy in Uganda

– A position paper on the proposed reforms to mainstream extension into MAAIF and restructure NAADS into the national agribusiness promotion agency

– A position paper on the involvement of the Army in agricultural service delivery

– A position paper on the immediate implications and effects of the current agricultural extension reforms.

– Declaration on the agricultural extension reforms in Uganda=October


• During a national annual agricultural extension and advisory services stakeholders’ workshop at Grand Imperial Hotel, Kampala, Uganda from 29th to 30th October 2014

• Theme: “Uganda’s agriculture at crossroads: critical issues in the Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services (AEAS) system”

• 126 participants comprising: agricultural extension practitioners from public, private sector and civil society organizations, farmers, members of parliament, researchers, academia, donor agencies and radio and newspaper media; congregated and made a declaration among other things.


• Recognized the current situation of the agricultural Sector and the economy

• Noted the ongoing reforms in the agricultural advisory services• Expressed their concerns• Called upon government, parliament and other key

stakeholders and gave several recommendationsNote:• The declaration was published and shared with the relevant

stakeholders and actors including parliament and Ministry• Minister has responded indicating that the ministry is seriously

considering the recommendation


• The Ministry (MAAIF) immediately comes up with a concrete policy and strategy document clearly stipulating the modalities of the reform process including roles of the agricultural extension actors/institutions, and approaches in the proposed single spine structure.

• Mechanisms through which the farmers will be supported to organize and demand for services, give feedback on the performance and quality of services, undertake collective marketing are clearly streamlined.

• Deployment of new actors such as the army in agriculture extension is preceded by adequate training and issuance of technical operational guidelines.


• The Agricultural extension directorate in MAAIF is operationalized to provide much needed leadership to agricultural extension services at national level.

• Sufficient numbers of extension staff are immediately recruited and equitably facilitated, retooled and oriented to the new roles.

• Adequate funds are released to operationalize the agricultural extension service this financial year.

• Funding to the agricultural sector is increased from 3 to 10% in line with the Maputo CAADP declaration.


• Realistic agricultural extension quality standards are developed, implemented and enforced by a neutral body which is inclusive of competent stakeholders from government, academia, private and other sectors.

• Continuous learning through systematic M&E, action research and documentation of lessons from past agricultural extension models.

• Tested models of effective inputs distribution that sustain the entire value chain should be used instead of government handouts. For example use of the voucher system by Sasakawa Global 2000, the e-wallet example in Nigeria among others.


We recognize that the media:• plays a very crucial role in the realization of UFAAS objective of information sharing and networking as media is the gateway to information.•Disseminates volumes of agricultural information to the farmers on a daily basis• Extensionists can use the media ensure that agriculture related programmes and information directed to the farmers is relevant and well informed.


However, it has been noted that:•There is unconsolidated and poorly/ un researched information by some media houses and actors.•there is lack awareness of the role of technical input into the agriculture extension and advisory services•In some incidences, both press and air space are given to people who are not technical on the agricultural issues under discussion and end up giving misleading information to the listeners and viewers


• There is therefore, need both the media and extension practitioners to come up with the best way of addressing the above pertinent issues.

• It is against the above background that UFAAS plans to:– Consult the media and extension practitioner together and

discuss critical issues that affect the effective and efficient reporting of agricultural extension and advisory messages.

– Initiate an inventory and profile of the, media actors/ programmes in AEAS for future networking and collaboration.


Past Engagements with the media •Organised press conferences to discuss the on-going extension reforms•Visited the major media houses mentioned above and shared the UFAAS mandate and possible collaborations•Published 4 position papers in New Vision and an articles in the Agribusiness and National Agricultural Show Newsletters.


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the evolution, function and challenges of agriculture extension services in uganda

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