Private sector partners with government to enhance farmer support

The government has welcomed the initiative by private sector players to scale up the Commercial Community-Based Facilitators (CCBF) model, aimed at promoting last-mile agricultural service delivery and bringing extension services closer to farmers.

The Ministry of Agriculture is grappling with a shortage of about 1,500 extension service workers, and their services are currently offered up to the sub-county level.

Dr. Stephen Byantware, Commissioner for Crop Protection in the Ministry of Agriculture, said the CCBF approach aligns with the government's extension service delivery and resonates with the recent Cabinet guidance of availing farmers with necessary knowledge. "As government, the message is one. We have stayed for long in substance farming. We thank Sasakawa Africa Association for scaling up the CCBF model and aligning it to our extension services and the Parish Development Model (PDM)," Dr. Byantware said.

Under the CCBF model, individuals within their respective communities are trained and empowered to provide high-quality, demand-driven extension services to farmers. Experts are optimistic that this model could beef up the shaky government extension services and enable farmers to embrace new technologies and adopt better farming methods for improved yields.

Dr. Byantware emphasized that the government and its partners must consider six critical areas to promote sustainable and resilient agriculture, including availability of quality and certified seed and animal breeds, fertilizers, mechanization of agriculture, and use of appropriate technology along the whole value chain.

Mr. Suzuki Shuichi, President of Sasakawa Africa Association, said the organization has shifted from offering services to farmers to empowering communities to offer the necessary services. "Today, we are witnessing a profound evolution. We no longer talk about taking it to the farm. Instead, our model is working with farmers for creating solutions, empowering communities, and strengthening ecosystems that sustain productivity, resilience, and development," he said.

Mr. Robert Anyang, SAA-Uganda Country Director, added that empowering local communities minimizes dependency syndrome and promotes sustainability of service delivery. The CCBF model is seen as a beacon of hope for improving agricultural productivity and farmer livelihoods in Uganda.

This development comes after a recent national study revealed that many farmers have shunned the use of improved crop varieties developed by the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO). Dr. Godfrey Asea, a Breeder and Seed Systems Manager at NARO, acknowledged that several agricultural innovations are not reaching farmers, citing challenges in the extension services delivery system.

President Museveni has directed the Ministry of Agriculture to continue investing in mobilization and farmer education to address these challenges.