Food Rights Alliance

Category: News Release

  • Right to Food Partners Organise 8th Indigenous Food Fair

    Right to Food Partners Organise 8th Indigenous Food Fair

    By Jude Ssebuliba

    Like it has been done for the last seven years, this year,  on 19th October, 2018 R2F partners led by PELUM Uganda  organized the 8th Annual Indigenous and traditional food fair 2018 to showcase the socio-economic and cultural value of indigenous and traditional food and seed systems as well as their potential to preserve agrobiodiversity and combat hunger.  The theme for this year’s food fair was; Indigenous and traditional food and seed systems, preserving agricultural biodiversity, ending hunger. This theme is in support of the World Food Day 2018 theme, “Working for Zero Hunger” and the International Day for Biological Diversity 2018. Further, the theme is in support of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

    Indigenous and traditional food and seed systems are inextricably linked to agricultural biodiversity and food security. For millennia, Indigenous and traditional food and seed systems have preserved and maintained agriculture biodiversity as they are the main source of diverse germplasm which broaden the genetic base of production with multiple crop species and varieties adapted to specific production systems and microclimates. These diverse varieties, crop species and systems underpin food security and provide insurance against future threats and ecological changes (Mulvany et al., 2002).

    According to FAO (2004), agricultural biodiversity is among the earth’s most important resources. It is a broad term that includes all components of biological diversity of relevance to food and agriculture, and all components of biological diversity that constitute agricultural ecosystems: the variety and variability of animals, plants, and micro-organisms, at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels, which are necessary to sustain key functions of the agro-ecosystem, its structure and processes. It’s the first link in the food chain, developed and safeguarded by indigenous peoples, women and men farmers, forest dwellers, livestock keepers and fisher folk throughout the world and has developed as result of the free-flow of genetic resources between food producers.

    Indigenous and traditional seed systems contain immense biodiversity essential to the conservation of agriculture biodiversity and critical for the production of a diversity of foods to ensure dietary diversity in smallholder communities. Furthermore, the agricultural biodiversity within indigenous and traditional food and seed systems contributes to food and nutrition security, improved financial situations, and for combating ‘hidden hunger’ caused by micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) deficiencies.

    Despite of this, Agro-biodiversity is at risk with the expansion of industrial agriculture all over the world. Locally varied food production systems are under threat, including local knowledge and the culture and skills of women and men farmers. With this decline, agrobiodiversity is disappearing; the scale of the loss is extensive. With the disappearance of harvested species, varieties and breeds, a wide range of unharvested species also disappear. According to FAO (1990), roughly 75% of plant genetic diversity has been lost worldwide since the 1990s. Farmers have left their sizable chunk local varieties and land races for genetically improved and high yielding varieties which undermines food security. Conservation of agro-biodiversity is important as it is the genetic materials for food, agriculture, source of human nutrition and climate resilient farming systems.

    This event was thus organised to; showcase the innate socio-economic and ecological value of indigenous and traditional foods and seeds and highlight the significant contribution of these systems to conservation of agricultural biodiversity and attainment of food security.

  • Government battles to avert food crisis

    Government battles to avert food crisis

    A day after the National Food Security Assessment Report 2017 showed that more than 10 million Ugandans are food insecure, Daily Monitor has learnt that the National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads) has procured farm inputs including cassava cuttings, sorghum, maize and bean seeds worth Shs27b to distribute to farmers across the country.

    Distribution of the inputs, according to Dr Samuel Mugasi, the Naads executive director, starts this week and the first beneficiaries expected are farmers in areas that have been worst hit by prolonged drought that has afflicted farmers for most of last year.

    The targeted areas include Karamoja, the Teso sub-region, northern Uganda, and Isingiro District in southwestern Uganda.

    “We are ready to start distribution. The weather forecast is clear [that we are going to have rains],” Dr Mugasi told this paper.

    “We are looking at 3,500 metric tons of maize and about 1000 metric tonnes of beans. We will also give out cassava [cuttings], sorghum [seeds] for northern Uganda,” Dr Mugasi added.

    The development comes a week after weather experts at the Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) indicated that much of the country, with the exception of Karamoja sub-region, will receive enough rainfall.

    The rains comes after last year’s devastating extended dry spell that led to massive crop failure, forcing nearly 10.9 million people into starving, which Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda said would require Shs25 billion in relief food to offset suffering.

    Separately, Mr Vincent Ssempijja, the Agriculture minister, said Cabinet is seeking a Shs52.6 billion budget to cater for similar projected emergencies amid the changing weather patterns.

    Even as Naads plans to distribute the farm inputs, observers fear the Shs27b may go to waste if some outstanding fundamentals are not fixed.
    Ms Agnes Kirabo, the executive director of Food Rights Alliance (FRA), a coalition of civil social organisations in the field of sustainable agriculture and food security, says agriculture can no longer be sustained on only natural rains.

    “Every Ugandan, regardless of status, is talking about water for production. Last year, Naads gave seedlings but some enterprises’ survival rates is as low as 12 per cent and now with drought, some enterprises, especially in the crop sector, are falling flat,” Ms Kirabo says.

    Her views were echoed by Makerere University Business School (Mubs) economics lecturer, Mr Ramadhan Ggoobi, who says concentrating on seeds distribution is wrong and he proposes a more multifaceted approach if agriculture is to be transformed.

    “You cannot say let us concentrate on water or seeds, no. Things like irrigation requires a lot of capital and government allocate [300bn on irrigation scheme irrigation.

    But Dr Mugasi says despite changing weather, Uganda is one of the few countries that can still reap good harvests even without irrigation.

    For now, he says, their energies are being directed at ensuring that farmers get high quality seedlings distributed in time and having enough extension workers that will advise farmers on what to do.

    During events to mark the 54th Independence celebrations in Luuka District last year, President Museveni revealed that about half of the 122 million coffee seedlings distributed to farmers countrywide under the government’s flagship Operation Wealth Creation programme have dried up in the scorching heat.

    He attributed this to inability to farmers’ inability to harvest rain and tap water from numerous water bodies, a deficiency in technology, and lack of effective irrigation policy by the ministry of Agriculture, which the President challenged to do more for higher farm yields and food security.

    “We know our problems, we know how to deal with them but we do not know how to structure those inspirations within the financing framework and then put money there,” Kirabo adds.

    Dr Mugasi, however, says a grand strategy to provide cheap irrigation schemes to farmers is being mooted between the two ministries—Water and Environment, and that of Agriculture.

    In the meantime, Dr Mugasi advised farmers to plant now and if the weather forecasts are anything to go by, then farmers should be assured of good harvests.

    While releasing the forecast last month, Mr Festus Luboyera, the executive director of UNMA, said much of the country, with exception of Karamoja will receive above and normal rainfall.

    “There is an increased probability of above normal rainfall for western sector of Uganda, normal rainfall for central, Lake Victoria Basin, south –eastern and central northern Uganda and below normal for Karamoja regions and parts of Lango and Acholi,” Mr Luboyera said.

    “[Farmers] should carryout soil and water conservation practices such as digging trenches, mulching minimum tillage…and enhance surveillance of crops for pests and diseases,” he told the press at the Uganda Media Centre recently.

    Mr Luboyera also warned mudslide-prone areas such as Elgon region and south western to be on the lookout to avoid disasters induced by heavy rainfall.

    “The onset of seasonal rains is expected to be characterized by severe thunderstorms and hailstorms over several parts of the country,” Mr Deus Bamanya, the UNMA director of Applied Meteorology, data and climate services, warned as he released the forecast.
    Eastern.

    Busoga sub-region, Tororo and Busia, according to forecast will start to receive normal rains early or mid-March with cessation expected around late May.

    Teso and Bugisu region, which form the east central, is expected to receive rains in mid-March and cessation is expected in mid-June.
    However, Karamoja sub-region, which has been hit hard by the long dry season will continue to suffer, with the forecast indicating the region will receive very little rainfall.

    “Irregular light rains are expected to set in around late March, thereafter a prolonged dry spell is expected until mid-April when steady rains are expected to get established,” Mr Bamanya said.

    Northern Uganda
    Northern Uganda and northwestern is expected to receive near normal rains starting early to mid-April.

    Like other regions of the country, northern Uganda is currently experiencing dry conditions that have seen crops and water sources dry up.
    Southwestern Uganda districts such as Kisoro, Kabale, Rukungiri, Mbarara, Ntungamo, and Kasese expected to receive heavy rainfall which may destroy infrastructure but also increase incidences of diseases such cholera and malaria.

    Western central districts such Kabarole, Kyegegwa,Bundibugyo, Masindi,Kibaale, Hoima are expected to receive normal rainfall starting mid-March and reduce in mid-June.

    Lake Victoria
    Central and western Lake Victoria basin districts of Kampala, Wakiso, Kalangala, Masaka, Butambala, and Mpigi, among others, are expected to receive normal rains characterized by strong and destructive winds as well as hailstorms starting late February until mid-June. So will the cattle corridor districts of Nakasongola, Luwero, Kyankwanzi, Sembabule and some of the districts which form west central.

    Source: Daily Monitor

  • Uganda facing acute food insecurity, says new report

    A new study commissioned by civil society has revealed that the country is facing biting hunger and malnutrition.
    The report conducted by the Food Rights Alliance, Health Promotion and Social Development and Centre for Health Rights and Development, which was launched in Kampala on Monday, shows that 10.9 million Ugandans experienced acute food insecurity between the months of March and November “and 1.6 million were in a food crisis situation”.

    Increasing
    The number is projected to reach 11.4 million by March next year if government does not prevail over the situation.
    Explaining the causes of hunger, Mr Jude Ssebuliba, the Food Rights Alliance programme manager, who presented the report, attributed the alarming hunger levels to land evictions, supply of fake seeds and chemicals on the market, climate change and poor farming methods.

    “We are concerned about the government’s failure to refrain other parties from interfering directly or indirectly with the people’s enjoyment of the right to adequate food. For instance, the continued failure to curb importation, development, sell and distribution of inferior, fake, substandard, toxic, hazardous and unsafe agricultural inputs,” Mr Ssebuliba observed in the report.

    Though stunting levels had reduced from 36 per cent to 33 per cent in the country, in some regions such as Tooro, the number of stunted children instead increased to 41 per cent and 29 per cent of all children under five years were reported to be shorter that their age.

    “The cost of hunger and malnutrition to the realisation of right of health was recorded at 44 per cent of all health costs in the country being associated to under nutrition in children below one year,” he said.

    He said 82 per cent of all cases of children under nutrition and related pathologies go untreated, expanding their tentacles in other health aspects and 15 per cent of all child mortality cases in Uganda are associated with under nutrition.

    Mr Ssebuliba added that this has reduced Uganda’s workforce by 4 per cent and that anemia has been confirmed as one of the leading causes of maternal death in the country.

    The study suggested that 32 per cent of women in the reproductive age of 15 and 49 were found to have suffered a degree of anemia.
    The report further established the cost of deficiency in realisation of right to food in other sectors such as education, where 7 per cent of all repetitions were associated with stunting and stunted children having 1.2 years less in school education besides reducing Uganda’s workforce by 4 per cent.

    Source: Daily Monitor

  • Civil Society pushes for recruitment of extension workers

    Civil Society pushes for recruitment of extension workers

    As the legislators in the 10th parliament start their work this month, they have been asked to lobby government to allocate sh16.20b to facilitate ministry of Agriculture to recruit extension workers at district and sub-county levels.

    The call was made by civil society organizations in the Agriculture sector during a high-level breakfast meeting with policy makers on financing agricultural extension.

    The meeting which took place at Hotel Africana recently was organized by Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE), was attended by members of Parliament of Agricultural Committee, Committee on the physical infrastructure and Parliamentary budget Committee.

    Patrick Kiconco Katabaazi, Budget policy advisor, Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) in his presentation said recruitment of extension workers is very crucial as agricultural extension service delivery is the primary mechanism used to assist farmers in expanding their ability to adopt and implement new methods and to relay information on producers concerning new technologies.

    “Improved farming technologies such as high yield crop varieties, chemical fertilizers, and irrigation techniques have been critical to raising yields. However, farmers in Uganda have been much slower in adopting these new methods due to a lack of information regarding how to apply them,” he said.

    Adding: “For our fathers to access such information, they need trained extension workers. This can be made possible by allocating sh16.20b to facilitate the ministry of Agriculture to recruit extension workers.

    Agricultural extension services include interventions/activities by government and non-state actors that facilitate the access of farmers, their organizations, and other value chair actors to knowledge, information, and technologies, mediate their interaction with other relevant organizations and assist them to develop their technical and management capacity in agriculture and family life.

    Samuel Ssemugaba, the Member of Parliament, Kiboga County West-Kyankwanzi district who is also on the committee of physical infrastructure revealed that government is going to recruit over 900 extension workers this financial year, though he did not reveal how much the government would invest in.

    Among the workers to be recruited include; fisheries officer, agricultural officers, veterinary officers, entomologists among others.

    Executive director, Food Rights Alliance, Agnes Kirabo said it is very crucial to monitor how all funds in the agriculture sector are used to avoid misappropriation.

    Source: New Vision

  • Civil Society pushes for recruitment of extension workers

    As the legislators in the 10th parliament start their work this month, they have been asked to lobby government to allocate sh16.20b to facilitate ministry of Agriculture to recruit extension workers at district and sub-county levels.

    The call was made by civil society organizations in the Agriculture sector during a high-level breakfast meeting with policy makers on financing agricultural extension.

    The meeting which took place at Hotel Africana recently was organized by Uganda National Farmers Federation (UNFFE), was attended by members of Parliament of Agricultural Committee, Committee on the physical infrastructure and Parliamentary budget Committee.

    Patrick Kiconco Katabaazi, Budget policy advisor, Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) in his presentation said recruitment of extension workers is very crucial as agricultural extension service delivery is the primary mechanism used to assist farmers in expanding their ability to adopt and implement new methods and to relay information on producers concerning new technologies.

    “Improved farming technologies such as high yield crop varieties, chemical fertilizers, and irrigation techniques have been critical to raising yields. However, farmers in Uganda have been much slower in adopting these new methods due to a lack of information regarding how to apply them,” he said.

    Adding: “For our fathers to access such information, they need trained extension workers. This can be made possible by allocating sh16.20b to facilitate the ministry of Agriculture to recruit extension workers.

    Agricultural extension services include interventions/activities by government and non-state actors that facilitate the access of farmers, their organizations, and other value chair actors to knowledge, information, and technologies, mediate their interaction with other relevant organizations and assist them to develop their technical and management capacity in agriculture and family life.

    Samuel Ssemugaba, the Member of Parliament, Kiboga County West-Kyankwanzi district who is also on the committee of physical infrastructure revealed that government is going to recruit over 900 extension workers this financial year, though he did not reveal how much the government would invest in.

    Among the workers to be recruited include; fisheries officer, agricultural officers, veterinary officers, entomologists among others.

    Executive director, Food Rights Alliance, Agnes Kirabo said it is very crucial to monitor how all funds in the agriculture sector are used to avoid misappropriation.

    Source: New Vision

  • Civil society calls for increased govt funding to fight drought

    Civil society calls for increased govt funding to fight drought

    As the dry spell hits the county hard, activists under their umbrella body Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG), have called upon government to allocate a specialised budget to rejuvenate irrigation valley dams and national food stores.

    While speaking to the media in Kampala last week, Ms Agnes Kirabo, the executive director Food Rights Alliance, punched holes in the 2017/18 National Budget Frame Work Paper, saying it does not provide immediate solutions to the dry spell and famine that are likely to claim lives since acres of crops have dried up at infancy stages.
    Ms Kirabo, who attributed the famine reported in the different parts of the country to immigrants and fake seed dealers that have made farmers incur loses, said government needs to act swiftly on monitoring boarders to control immigrants and fake seeds from entering the country.

    “Government should allocate enough funds to revamp deserted valley dams in Teso, Lango and Karamoja. We need to always be prepared for droughts and we no longer need stories of people who have died of hunger,” Ms Kirabo said.

    She added: “OPM (Office of the Prime minister) should have a budget to buy and store food. The climate change and dry spells are far from ending and we therefore to need to devise means of keeping people safe,” she added.

    Ms Kirabo also challenged government to refocus Operation Wealth Creation by encouraging farmers to grow vegetables which she said grow in a very short period compared to other crops that are easily affected by unreliable rains.

    Mr Julius Mukunda, the CSBAG coordinator, warned that domestic borrowing is likely to be very difficult in the next fiscal year given that budget support has greatly reduced from 962.6b to 33.8b registering a 96 per cent decline.

    This means that government will heavily rely on domestic financing for the 2017/18 financial year. As a result, government domestic borrowing will increase to a tune of Shs1.477 trillion compared to Shs345.6b in the 2016/17 financial year.

    “That means our efforts of having low interest rates are likely to hit a dead end. The interest rates are likely to double. We, therefore, call for interest capping if we are to encourage safe domestic borrowing,” he said.
    Mr Mukunda also expressed worry on low debt absorption and non-performing of loans.

    He said the low absorption of debt culminates into payment of commitment charges and reflects ineffective implementation of project of programmes.

    Debt accumulation
    By end of June 2016, committed but un-disbursed debt stood at Shs18 trillion with commitment charges of Shs20b to be paid, something that resulted into increased debt servicing.

    “We recommend that government establishes a fully functioning appraisal and evaluation department to approve project designs to enable the avoidance of debt related costs and delays during implementation as a result of poor feasibility studies and project designs,” Mr Mukunda said. Quoting the financial audit for central government in the 2015/2016 financial year, Ms Juliet Akello, the programme officer governance and rights at Uganda Debt Network and Ms Ruth Namala, advocacy and communications Kick Corruption Out of Uganda, said more than Shs77.7b could have been saved if government addressed wastage and misuse of funds.

    The said amount accumulated from procurement of vehicles for memebrs of Parliament at a cost of Shs64b which, activists say, was unnecessary as MPs could get cars on loan basis.

    Shs6b was spent on a presidential handshake in the trending oil cash bonanza, Shs1.97 trillion accumulated interest on delayed clearance of construction certificates, Shs225.9m on old items occupying, Shs3.3b interest charges due to failure to pay the VAT component on contracts for construction of schools, Shs636.2m on litigation costs because of breach of three contracts regarding rehabilitation, refurbishment and construction works, Shs358.6m interest charges on delayed payments of approved certificates for construction of various water facilities and Shs508.9m on interest charges.

    Source: Daily Monitor

  • The Cost of Natural Resources Mismanagement

    From 19th – 22nd June, 2018, FRA had engagement meetings with Natural Resource Rights advocacy groups under TEDDO and SOCADIDO,  the Resource Rights partners at the local level in the districts of Kaberamaido and Katakwi respectively. The meetings were meant to inform a common understanding of the legal and policy provisions on natural resource rights especially women’s rights and how mismanagement of Natural resources leads to poverty in Teso.

    Two separate meetings were held in each district and attracted over 45 participants per district including advocacy group members and their committees, local partners TEDDO and SOCADIDO and FRA team to facilitate the process. These engagements were a continuation of the meetings held Last year in September where FRA engaged with the same advocacy groups and different views were shared on how water as a resource is perceived in Teso communities. Some of the key challenges were mismanagement of water resources as a result of limited capacity to sustainably manage them, competition for fertile soils near water sources for farming, and sometimes abuse of natural resource rights which have led to increased conflicts, poverty and food insecurity.

    Despite the fact that in the last 10 years poverty has reduced by 22 percent in the Eastern region, Teso sub region continues to suffer from poverty mostly due to mismanagement of the available natural resources. Poverty in most cases comes as a result of over dependence on natural resources by the majority of population who has varying interests and roles in using and enjoying the benefits of natural resources. Water resources being at the center of achieving diverse people’s needs has greatly amplified pressure on these resources causing conflicts among community members due to competition to utilize them for livelihood support. The more the increasing population continues to depend on the few water sources like wetlands for rice growing, drinking water for animals and household use, rain patterns have drastically been changing in the region. There are other human activities like tree cutting for firewood and charcoal burning which has escalated drought and resulted into heavy winds causing loss destruction of houses, soil erosion. In the long run the ecosystem is affected leading to delayed rains that limit agricultural production leaving households with little or no food.

    For Palam Sub County in Katakwi district, it was recorded that there are no natural resource officers to support communities in managing natural resources. Much as cultural leaders and advocacy groups in Teso sub region have played their role in solving conflicts around natural resources, many people do not know their natural resource rights and entitlements of natural resources. Women who bear the burden of taking household responsibility suffer more than men as natural resources are mismanaged. This calls for a collective approach to promote resource rights and participation in natural resource management especially for women not only looking at them as laborers but should also be equally involved in decision-making processes for sustainable management of these resources.

    By Lucky Brian Wamboka

  • What Is the Status of the Amendment of Bill No 13/2017 (Article 26)

    Government of Uganda has proposed amendments to the compulsory land acquisition laws through the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill No.13/2017 that would remove the requirement for prior and prompt compensation of government projects affected persons as it is in the current Article 26 of the Constitution.

    PELUM organized a Regional Parliamentary Caucuses on the Constitutional Amendment Bill No 13/2017 between the 19th to the 22nd June. The meeting was a four day breakfast meeting at Golf Course Hotel Kampala. The meeting attracted over 30 participants of whom they included representatives the Parliament of Uganda Members of parliament of the different Caucuses (Buganda, Acholi, Teso and West Nile Parliamentary Caucuses), Civil Society Organizations and Research Advocates. The main objective for the four day breakfast meeting was to mobilize and equip Members of Parliament (MPs) through their Caucuses with information, analysis, evidence and alternative policy proposals to enhance quality of debate on the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill No: 13/2017.

    The Regional Parliamentary Caucuses on the Constitutional Amendment Bill No 13/2017 was held with the respective parliamentary caucuses on the respective days, the Buganda Caucus on Tuesday, Acholi Parliamentary Caucus on Wednesday, Teso Parliamentary Caucus on Thursday, and the West Nile Parliamentary Caucus on Friday Ms Josephine Akia (Program Officer PELUM) recorded the opening remarks of the meeting, she mentioned that women are the most vulnerable when it comes to the issues of having access to land, ownership, and control of land. Women are the majorly constrained during the production of food since they cannot access land and have control over the land. The meeting was intended to mobilize MPs through their regional caucuses and equip them with information, analysis and evidence of cases related to compulsory land acquisition by government, provide MPs with alternative policy proposals for effective acquisition of land by government, and develop action plans for the advancement of the campaign.

    The chairperson of the Buganda Parliamentary Caucus Hon Ssenyonga Muyanja stated that the land bill is so controversial, in that majority of the members of parliament, and people in the public don’t understand the status of the bill, and that the Bill was never withdrawn from the floor of parliament therefore MPs should seek for a formal withdrawal of the Bill before parliament. He mentioned that no amendments have been yet presented to the parliamentary caucus since the objection of the bill. In relation to compensation and valuing of the land for the proposed government development, participants mentioned that some valuations for the land are unrealistic, therefore urged government to set a minimum and maximum price for valuing of land and the price of compensation. In Uganda majority of land owners d are ignorant or do not know the size and value of the land they own, which provides an advantage for the government to value land at any cost.

    Question for the amendment of the article 26 emerged, as how can the property right guaranteed by article 26 be balanced off against the concerns, does the right to access to court require full adjudication of disputes before acquisition, where shall it be enacted? Is the land acquisition act the same law as article 26, is it appropriate to deposit compensation in court as proposed in the amendment bill. Where are the standards of determination (fair and adequate) compensation? MPs questioned that what is public interest, who determines the public interest for the public?

    From the deliberation from the respective parliamentary caucuses MPs noted that Civil Society Organizations in the campaign should conduct critical research on the number of Government projects that have been delayed due to delayed acquisition of land, and as well conduct research on complete compensations by the government. There is need to mount pressure on the government towards the fate and progress of the parliamentary committee on the consultations of the land amendment Bill article 26 of the constitution. The debate on the parliamentary floor once the bill is brought back before parliament should focus on the vulnerable people (women, and children) down at the communities who cannot get their voices heard by the policy makers.

    However with the proposed amendment Bill, the meeting recommended that the current regime specifically the provision under the Land Acquisition Act should be applied to resolve the impasse of Article 26. The members of parliament recommended that there is need of joint sensitization of the public about the Amendment Bill of Article 26, standardization of the valuation of land, conducting consultations about the amendment Bill. MPs recommended that stakeholders should hold radio talk shows in their communities to bring the community on board on the subject of Article 26 expressing the cons for the amendment of the Bill.

    By Frank Ntwatwa

  • Civil Society Organisations hold Post Budget Dialogues for the FY 2018/19 under the theme “Addressing Inequality for improved Service Delivery: Will the FY 2018/19 Budget Deliver?”

    CSOs under the stewardship of the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) held a Post Budget dialogue for the FY 2018/19 at the UMA conference hall in Kampala on 21st June 2018. This dialogue was held under the theme; “Addressing Inequality for improved Service Delivery: Will the FY 2018/19 Budget Deliver?” This dialogue came at the heels of the just delivered budget speech by Hon. Matia Kasaijja the Minister of Finance Planning and Economic Development, on 14th June 2018.  This budget speech highlighted specifically the resource envelope for the implementation of the country’s given prioritizes for the FY 2018/19.

    Drawn under the theme Industrialization for Job Creation and shared prosperity, this budget for the FY 2018/19 totals to approximately UGX 32trillion, broke down into several priorities set for FY 2018/19. The FY 2018/19 budget comes at a time when the state is faced with social economic hardships including high levels of insecurity, high levels of poverty, high levels of food and nutrition insecurity, all expected to carry on to the planned FY 2018/19.

    The post budget dialogue held therefore provided a platform for interaction between over 100 stakeholders in attendance including CSOs representatives, farmers from different regions, development partners, key representatives from various line ministries, agencies and departments, media, academia and youth representatives over the FY 2018/19 budget priorities and whether they will actually provide the envisaged shared prosperity and wealth to the ordinary citizen.

    Specific to this discussion was the agricultural sector budget allocation for the FY 2018/19 and whether this will be enough to propel the country to shared prosperity and wealth given its centrality to economic transformation of Uganda as it contributes nearly 24.9% of the national GDP. This sector further contributes nearly 72.9% of the total national export earning while also accounting for the livelihood of about 80% of the country’s population.

    This dialogue noted that the planned resources for this sector for the FY 2018/19 total to UGX 892.92 billion, representing 3.1% of the total proposed National budget. A further breakdown of the above resources highlighted the different intra-sectrol allocations as highlighted below.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    During this dialogue, areas of concern that emerged from an analysis of this sector and its proposed allocations for the FY 2018/19 included issues around allocation to climate change given the fact Uganda’s agriculture is natural resource dependant. Issue of concern revolved around clarity on the specific allocation set aside towards building the sector resilient to climate change viabilities in the country. Further to this discussion, was concern over the increasing population growth rate in the country and how much of the total development allocation is going to translate into food during the year and of which quality.

    Farmers at this dialogue further agonized over produce given the increased outbreak in pests and diseases specifically the new attack of the Army Fall Worm and others. Farmers asked for guidance on what the government has set aside to safe guard against the control of pests and diseases and the additional services that could be offered by the government like qualified extension workers.

    In conclusion, stakeholders, called for prudent and efficient financing for this sector as its key to the functioning of other sectors.

    Regina Kayoyo

  • FRA Conducts Inception of New Project Phase in Amuria, Ngora Districts

    In the week of 18th to 22nd June 2018, FRA together with her partner’s i.e. War on Want Northern Ireland, WEDA introduced the new project phase funded by Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung to Ngora and Amuria district councils.  The new phase focuses on the promotion of food and nutrition security at household level.

    With the many interventions in the region i.e. Entandikwa scheme, NUSAF, OWC and other interventions by CSOs, one would have no doubt that the area has surpassed the food insecurity bracket. However, food continues to be scare at some points of the year due to predominantly practicing nature based agriculture. Despite of this, there’s a need to focus on nutritional needs of the people which are a concern of late and can be improved on with the little resources households may have.

    To tackle these problems, In December 2017, Ngora district council passed the food and environmental management ordinance intended to guide people while promoting food and nutritional security in a manner that does not encroach on the future generations. This has not been implemented or even disseminated. FRA in collaboration with Ngora district council used these platforms to induct people through the ordinance and together devise ways of disseminating it to all the people in the district, FRA,  has already started  assisting the local government disseminate it as well as implementing it. This is through conducting training/s of how to source and consume food rich in desired nutrients.

    In Mukura and Wera sub counties, this initiative started with trainings on household food and nutrition security conducted by FRA to show the people that one can eat healthy using the resources he/she has. The trainings were eye openers and people made actions plans on improving their nutrition statuses in their households. It was clear before the trainings, people thought nutrition coincided with expensive tasty foods which are often sold in shops, this was demystified by the trainings.

    By Jude Ssebuliba