Uganda is located in East Africa, bordered by Kenya to its east and DRC to its west. The country’s total land area is 421,038 sq km. Comparatively, it is slightly smaller than the United Kingdom, or about the size of the state of Oregon in the U.S. Its southern climate is tropical, with an environment that is generally rainy with two dry seasons. Conversely, Uganda’s northeastern region is semiarid. Of the total land area, 22 percent is utilized for cultivated crops, while another nine percent supports permanent crops such as fruit- and nut-bearing trees. Environmental issues facing Uganda include draining of wetlands for agricultural use, deforestation, overgrazing and soil erosion. The country’s population is approximately 32.4 million, with more than 80 percent of Uganda's workforce dedicated to agriculture. Economically, the country has experienced sound GDP growth through agriculture due to government reforms and sound management, yet 35 percent of its people continue to live in poverty. Uganda’s primary export is coffee, representing a substantial portion of the agriculture sector GDP. Other agricultural products include tea, cotton, tobacco, cassava, potatoes, maize, millet, pulses, cut flowers, beef, goat meat, milk and poultry. The East and Southern Africa Division is responsible for IFDC activities in Uganda.
Current IFDC Projects in Uganda
- Toward Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship (2SCALE), 2012-2016
2SCALE is improving rural livelihoods, nutrition and food security in Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Sudan and Uganda, with 1.15 million smallholder families ultimately increasing their productivity by 100 percent and their net incomes by 30 percent. A key component is the development of a portfolio of 500 robust and viable agribusiness clusters and value chains to supply food to regional, national and local markets and the least fortunate, also known as base-of-the-pyramid (BoP) consumers.
DONOR: The Netherlands’ Directorate-General for International Cooperation (DGIS)
- CATALIST-Uganda, 2012-2016
CATALIST-Uganda is sustainably commercializing smallholder agriculture through improved productivity and market development, resulting in marketable surpluses that raise farm incomes and food security in Uganda. The project employs a systems approach to develop integrated cropping systems around Irish potatoes, cassava and rice, combined with accelerated agribusiness cluster development. Focus is also given to seed and fertilizer market development, output marketing, linkages to agribusinesses and an improved policy environment. By project end, 100,000 smallholders will have doubled yields and increased incomes by 50 percent.
DONOR: The Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Uganda
Recent IFDC Projects in Uganda
- Accelerating Agribusiness in Africa – Bridge (AAA-Bridge), 2011-2012
The AAA-Bridge project was an extension of Strategic Alliance for Agricultural Development in Africa (SAADA-B) activities. The objective of AAA-Bridge was to expand IFDC activities and best practices developed in West Africa, such as the Competitive Agricultural Systems and Enterprises (CASE) solution, Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM), fertilizer deep placement (FDP), fertilizer resource assessments and market information systems (MIS), into other regions of Africa. Specifically, this project expansion was designed to replicate the CASE approach and other aspects of the IFDC agribusiness model in select countries of eastern and southern Africa.
- COMESA Regional Agricultural Inputs Program (COMRAP), 2010-2011
COMRAP responded to rising food prices by increasing agricultural productivity through improved access to finance, training, fertilizer and seeds. Over the course of its implementation, the project targeted three million smallholder farmers in Burundi, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. COMRAP was implemented by the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA).
DONOR: The European Union Food Facility Program
- Extending Agro-Input Dealer Networks (EADN) in East Africa, 2008-2011
EADN strengthened and extended agro-dealer capacities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The project focused on building well-functioning dealer networks that can support the introduction of improved production technologies to smallholder farmers. The project also focused on improving agro-dealer promotion and distribution capabilities for products such as quality fertilizers, improved seed and crop protection products.
DONOR: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
- Livelihoods and Enterprises for Agricultural Development (LEAD), 2008-2013 (IFDC support: 2008-2010)
LEAD is helping to raise rural agricultural productivity and incomes for smallholder farmers in Uganda, providing support to targeted smallholders who grow food and cash crops. Utilizing the value chain approach to agricultural development, the project improves productivity through training and access to quality agro-inputs and increases trade capacity and market competitiveness by building better market linkages. IFDC provided technical assistance to the LEAD project from 2008 to 2010.
DONOR: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
- Strengthening Trade at the Regional Level in Agricultural Inputs in Africa (STAR), 2007-2010
The STAR project promoted food security and agricultural growth through improved regional trade along eastern and southern Africa’s entire agricultural vale chain. The project improved market access for agro-dealers and smallholder farmers. This included better access to quality inputs and advanced technologies along with improved market linkages, local and regional agricultural policy reforms and greater involvement of agricultural enterprises.
DONOR: The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
