Museveni clears hunger response plan

President Museveni has approved the Agriculture ministry’s plan for responding to the looming food crisis in the country, giving the ministry a green light to submit a supplementary budget.

The President, in a letter dated July 14, while replying to the July 13 letter he received from Agriculture Minister Frank Tumwebaze, directed Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja and Minister of Finance Matia Kasaija to give the necessary support to the Agriculture ministry’s plan.

He directed all relevant government officials to implement the response plan by “providing agricultural machinery, seeds, fertilisers and equipment for irrigation. Also, prepare all the necessary anti-pests measures to protect these crops.” 

“I totally agree and approve of your plan to assist [Uganda] Prisons [Service], National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) and big farmers in northern Uganda and other areas to engage in large-scale production,” the President wrote. 

The other farmers that the ministry is prioritising to boost production include the National Leadership Institute (Kyankwanzi) of the army, the National Agricultural Research Organisation (Naro), and the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank (NAGRC&DB). 

Uganda Prisons Service currently cultivates around 9,000 acres of grain, but the ministry said if supported, they can open and plant an additional 20,000 for next season and will add more in the subsequent season of 2023.

His approval is coming amid concerns from food and nutrition policy specialists that there is a need to regulate food exports, improve post-harvest handling to minimise wastage and improve food distribution to sustainably address food insecurity issues in the country.  

Starvation

More than 600 starvation-related deaths have already been reported by leaders in Karamoja and some parts of Lango sub-regions, as the country experiences a significant decline in yields due to drought and erratic rainfall patterns. 

Mr Tuwebaze said in a July 12 letter to the Finance ministry that it will prioritise food security crops such as “maize, beans, soybeans, sorghum, cassava and potatoes in the immediate and short-term; that is, next seasons (August 2022 and March 2023 respectively.”

“The low levels of production are attributed to harsh weather conditions and pests and disease (armyworm) that affected many districts. The yields for this season stand at about 20-40 percent for mainly food security crops,” he explained in the letter.

Asked yesterday the exact amount they want to execute the plan, Mr Tumwebaze said they are yet to finalise the budget. 

“Each of the participating entities/farmers will tell us their needs in terms of machinery for opening [up the land], irrigation, inputs among others,” he said. 

Mr Ramathan Ggoobi, the Secretary to the Treasury, told this newspaper that they will accommodate the supplementary budget from the ministry because food security is a national priority. 

“We have been discussing that strategy and we are going to fund it. We will find the money. That is the industrial policy aspect I was talking about [earlier]. Those are the only supplementaries we are doing these days –only security and industrial policy,” he said, adding that the exact amount required is yet to be determined. 

Ms Agnes Kirabo, the executive director of Food Rights Alliance (FRA), told this newspaper that there is a need to improve food governance and minimise food wastage in the country. 

“Last year, we had a bumper harvest. Where did all that food go if it didn’t go to waste? We need to have a national food reserve that supports the producing parts of the country to produce more and also ensure the food goes to areas where there is food scarcity,” she said. 

Prof Fred Kabi, a lecturer and researcher at the Department of Agricultural Production, Makerere University, said there is a need to protect the environment to fight climate change, which is causing erratic rainfall patterns. He asked the government to improve the accuracy of weather prediction to minimise losses.