Invest more in agriculture to modernise economy

The 2018/19 Budget presented by Finance minister Matia Kasaija on Thursday has seen marginal increment in allocation to the agriculture sector.
While previous financial year allocation to the sector was Shs865 billion, the allocation in the financial year beginning July 1, 2018, is Shs892.9 billion, reflecting an increment of about Shs27 billion. It is these budget allocations to agriculture that begs the question, ‘Can agriculture budget propel Uganda to modern economy?’ (see the Saturday Monitor of June 16).
But to give credible answers to this critical question, it is important that we first understand the place of agriculture in Uganda’s economy. First, agriculture remains the backbone of the country’s economy. The sector is the main source of livelihood - as it employs more than 68 per cent of Uganda’s population. While the sector is largely known for the production of food crops – millet, matooke, cassava, potatoes, and maize, among others, it also encompasses the growing of cash crops, including coffee, grains, sugarcane, cotton, and tea. It is from such crops that the country earns foreign exchange through exports.
Besides, the sector encompasses the rearing of livestock, and managing fisheries and forestry, among others. The sector employs 68 per cent of the population, especially the youth and women. Thus, the sector’s contribution to the national economy, cannot be over emphasised.
Given the significance of agriculture in the economy, to which it contributes nearly 26 per cent to the GDP, there is no doubt that agriculture, if prioritised to benefit from substantial budget allocation, can scale up modernisation of the economy.
This says a lot about why government must invest heavily if it is to provide a firm foundation for a fast economic growth. As has been analysed, we can confidently say agriculture can act as a launching pad for fast modernisation of the economy. All that we need to do is to adopt best practices to ensure sufficient and sustainable production.
This, therefore, shows that we do not need to invent the wheel, but stop duplicating and rolling out programmes such as Operation Wealth Creation, Naads, and Entandikwa, among others. Without exception, all of them have been characterised by corruption, poor management, and loss of direction.
All we need to do is to empower and facilitate extension service providers, offer farmers the requisite tools, right seeds and at the right time, proper supervision, and markets for their produce.
But all this will be difficult to achieve unless the sector gets adequate budget allocation.

The issue: Agriculture budget
Our view: All we need to do is to empower and facilitate extension service providers, offer farmers the requisite tools, right seeds and at the right time, proper supervision, etc.