The Manager of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC), Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, has called for an urgent review of Uganda’s agricultural input support and distribution system to make quality farming inputs more affordable and accessible to farmers across the country.
Speaking at the ONC offices in Kyambogo, Namyalo said farmers continue to raise concerns over the high cost, poor quality, delayed supply and limited availability of essential agricultural inputs, particularly coffee seedlings and other planting materials.
She said these challenges are affecting farmers’ ability to increase production, improve household incomes and fully benefit from government programmes aimed at fighting poverty.
Farmers Need Affordable and Quality Inputs
Namyalo stressed that agriculture remains an important source of income for millions of Ugandan households and therefore requires practical support that responds to the actual needs of farmers.
She noted that Uganda’s economic transformation agenda cannot achieve its full potential when farmers struggle to access the basic inputs required to improve production.
Namyalo called for a more farmer-focused approach to agricultural support, with programmes designed around the different farming conditions across the country.
She said Uganda’s different agro-ecological zones require specific interventions based on suitable crops, local planting seasons, climate conditions and the needs of farmers in each region.
Agricultural Support Should Work Alongside PDM
The ONC also called for stronger coordination between agricultural input programmes and financing provided through the Parish Development Model (PDM).
According to the ONC, providing farmers with productive financing alone may not be enough to improve household incomes if they cannot access affordable and quality seeds, seedlings and other essential inputs.
Namyalo said PDM financing should therefore be supported by agricultural extension services, affordable inputs and reliable access to markets where farmers can sell their produce at competitive prices.
Such an approach, she noted, would help more households move from subsistence farming into commercial production and the money economy.
ONC Calls for Stronger Agricultural Input Distribution
The ONC has urged the Government and relevant agricultural institutions to strengthen the distribution of affordable, quality and climate-suitable agricultural inputs throughout the country.
Where necessary, Namyalo called for the reinstatement of strategic input distribution programmes, particularly in communities where farmers cannot easily access quality planting materials.
She said improving access to seedlings and other farming inputs would help farmers increase productivity, strengthen household incomes and contribute to the government’s wider poverty-reduction and socio-economic transformation agenda.
Namyalo reaffirmed the ONC’s commitment to listening to concerns raised by ordinary Ugandans and advocating for practical interventions that can improve livelihoods at the household level.