Agriculture named worst performing sector – report
FARMING CAN ABSORB ALL THE JOBLESS PRODUCTIVE YOUTH RUSHING TO JOIN UPDF
Farmers tilling land for planting crops. Agriculture is a source of livelihood for the biggest segment of the population PHOTO BY CISSY MAKUMBI
By ISMAIL MUSA LADU
Posted Friday, September 13 2013 at 01:00
Kampala- Contrary to the government position that agriculture is steadily picking up, a report by Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group (CSBAG) tells a different story.
Agriculture, which provides a livelihood to the biggest segment of the population, according to the CSBAG report, has been dwindling over the years.
This is largely attributed to poor absorption capacity of budget resources, while farmers say shortage of capital and credit are their biggest constraints.
"Despite the importance of the sector, agriculture's output is the lowest in all the sectors of the economy and is far below the National Development Plan target of 4.9 per cent," Mr Richard Mugisha, an advocacy officer at CSBAG, said while presenting the report in Kampala recently.
He continued: "Uganda has up to now not prioritised agriculture in her public spending to the extent that the sector receives less than 4 per cent of the national budget."
According to the report, the sector has been steadily declining from 7.9 per cent in 2000/01 to 0.9 per cent in 2010/11, before jumping to a paltry two per cent by the beginning of 2011/12.
Over the same years, there has also been no consistent effort to increase the allocation to the sector. Instead, budget allocation has been hovering between one and two percent of the total budget. The only significant increase came in the previous financial year to a tune of 4.5 per cent (FY 2012/13) only to be reduced to 3.3 per cent in the current budget.
However, skeptics say the reduction has fallen to 2.9 per cent (FY 2013/14), contrary to the international and regional declaration target of at least 10 per cent allocation of the National Budget to agriculture.
The activists' report recommends that government provides funds for lending to small scale farmers at affordable interest rates. And importantly, that the government should consider establishing an agricultural bank.
"An agricultural bank is important because it will explicitly focus on farmers' credit needs, hedge them against risks like crop failures and volatilities in the prices of agro-products, something that commercial banks are not willing to do," Mr Mugisha said in his presentation.
Recommendations
Other recommendations include; embracing value addition and competitiveness, although the budget for that was cut from Shs4.3 billion to Shs0.5 billion.
Expediting rural electrification, use of irrigation, developing infrastructure such as roads and railway to allow market access and increasing productivity are some of the other measures which could see the agriculture sector play a dominant role in the economy.
They also called for the revival of agricultural cooperatives to enable farmers negotiate their prices and market collectively.
But the government remains adamant that it is doing all it can to help agriculture retain its dominant role. Finance Minister, Maria Kiwanuka, said it is erroneous for skeptics to determine the viability of the sector by concentrating only on the budget allocated to Ministry of Agriculture.
iladu@ug.nationmedia.com
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AROMA PATRICK-THE TRUE SON OF UGANDA!!!THIS IS MY COUNTRY!!!THIS IS MY MOTHERLAND-THE PEARL OF AFRICA DOES NOT BELONG TO THE MAFIAS ALONE,I WHO IS WALKING IN THE SHADOWS OF DEATH DAILY AND LIVING ON BORROWED TIMES UNDER GOD'S PROTECTION SINCE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD,BURIED SIX FEET UNDER-I,THE UNWANTED AND HATED,THE MOST VILIFIED AND SABOTAGED,THE DOWNTRODDEN AND CRIPPLED,THE INNOCENTLY DELIBERATELY TORTURED AND PERSECUTED IS ALSO A SHAREHOLDER AND A STAKEHOLDER WITH FULL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS TO PARTICIPATE IN ITS DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFORMATION IN ALL SECTORS AND SPHERES-NO GOING TO EXILE,NO RETREAT AND NO SURRENDER TO THE MAFIAS!!!THE END MUST SET ALL UGANDANS FREE AND CREATE A BETTER LIFE FOR ALL!!! "THE RIGHT TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT AND COURTESY,THE RIGHT TO LIVE AND THE RIGHT TO DIGNITY ARE NOT FAVORS TO BE BESTOWED BY ANYBODY:THEY ARE THE BIRTH RIGHT OF EVERY HUMAN BEING"DECLARES PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS BUSH WAR IN 1981!!!page 182-The Minds of Achievers-The Seeds of Greatness by GRACE MUSIIME MUGYENZI,Get a copy of this book at Uganda Book Shop-Opposite Communication House,Kampala.
MANAGING DIRECTOR
CAMKWOKI INVESTMENTS LIMITED
Dealers in General Merchandise, Agro Input and Chemicals and Agro- Processing
LIRA BUS PARK SHOP NO:57/ LABOURLINE TRADING CENTER AND BAL-PE MARKET ON ALEBTONG-BARR ROAD
A VICTIM OF APARTHEID ETHNICALLY ENTRENCHED GENOCIDAL CUM TERRORIST MAFIA DICTATORSHIP OF MUSEVENI,SUPER -BLOODY MAFIA STRATEGIST AMAMA MBABAZI,THE DEADLY SAM ENGOLA/MUSEVENI LANGO HENCHMAN AND THEIR MAFIAS OPPOSITION/LANGO MAFIA NETWORKS PLUS A VICTIM OF NORTHERN UGANDA NRM GRAND HUMAN RESOURCE DESTRUCTION POLICY OF ITS POTENTIALS AND GRAND NRM ECONOMIC SABOTAGE PLANS TO KEEP THE NORTH PERPETUALLY IN POVERTY/TURN US INTO BEGGARS,A NORTHERN UGANDA GENOCIDE SURVIVOR,MY RIGHT LEG BROKEN ON 24/JUNE/2001 IN FRONT OF SAM ENGOLA LIRA HOTEL IN THE PRESENCE OF PRESIDENTIAL GUARD BRIGADE WHO PROTECTED MUSEVENI IN LIRA WHILE CAMPAIGNING FOR SAM ENGOLA THAT DAY-SURVIVING DEATH MIRACULOUSLY DUE TO GOD'S PROTECTION AND I ESCAPED SEVERAL MURDER ATTEMPTS ON MY LIFE RIGHT FROM 2000 TO DATE-POLITICALLY PERSECUTED,ECONOMICALLY SABOTAGED IN BUSINESS AND MY NGO PROJECTS, DENIED ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES IN LIFE/ EDUCATION-EXPELLED FROM MAKERERE UNIVERSITY IN FOURTH YEAR WHILE PURSUING BACHELOR OF LAWS AND COMPLETELY FRUSTRATED IN TERMS OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT,SOCIALLY DISLOCATED -ISOLATED AND LIVING IN PAINED PHYSICALLY,MENTALLY,EMOTIONALLY WHILE SPIRITUALLY FOUGHT WITH NRM EVIL SPIRITS(MAYEMBES/KIFARO) AND CULTURALLY UPROOTED BECAUSE OF OPPOSING/DISAGREEING WITH MUSEVENI & HIS NRM MAFIA POLITICAL PARTY,HAILING FROM A WRONG REGION/ TRIBE/CLAN .I PATRICK AROMA TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AFFIRM AND CONFIRM THAT WHAT I HAVE STATED HERE IS THE TRUTH AND THE WHOLE TRUTH NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS BEING DONE TO YOU OR YOUR SON BY YOUR OWN GOVERNMENT??? A MAFIA GOVERNMENT IN MY OWN MOTHERLAND WHO HATES TO SEE MY PROGRESS, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY -IF THIS IS NOT APARTHEID THEN WHAT IS IT ??? FROM 1999-2004 I WAS ON TEL:NO 0772-621-761 which MTN MADE IT IN ACCESSIBLE/BLOCKED AND LATER SOLD TO ANOTHER PERSON BEFORE TAKING ON 0782-658-458.ALL MY COMMUNICATIONS AT THAT MATERIAL TIME CAN BE ACCESSED ON 0772-621-761.
MY FIFTY YEARS DEADLY JOURNEY TO THE GOLDEN TRAGEDIES OF OUR MOTHERLAND-WHY I NEVER CELEBRATED THE JUBILEE!!!
1962-1975-1 was not yet born
1976-1979-IDI AMIN MURDERED MY UNCLES THE LATE HON: AROMA MARTIN,EMOR BEN AND MY FATHER THE LATE PETER OGWAL
1980-1986
WE SURVIVED ON RELIEF FOOD (YELLO POSHO +BEANS) under very difficult conditions as orphans though we had plenty of cattle that was eventually stolen by NRM/UPDF
1986-2000 My Childhood Destruction
NRA/UPDF STOLE ALL OUR CATTLE WHEN I WAS LOOKING AFTER THEM AND RAPED MY COUSIN SISTER IN MY PRESENCE
Museveni SURAMBAYA FIGHTER JETS BOMBS OUR HOME VILLAGE-FIVE KILOMETERS FROM LIRA TOWN AND I SURVIVED AS MANY INNOCENT CIVILIANS WERE KILLED PLUS LIVE STOCKS
Alice Lakwena War BEGAN that really exposed us to a lot of dead bodies bombed,shot and cut with matchetes LYING LIFELESS FROM OUR VILLAGE TO LIRA TOWN
Gen: David Tinyefuza OPERATIONS NORTH where even Children were not spared KIBOKO-we were thoroughly caned by UPDF as they arrested the 18 famous Northern Uganda Politicians at that material time
2000-2012
NRA Mafias start my PERSECUTION at Makerere University
Breaking of my leg
Expulsion from Makerere
Museveni STATE HOUSE PLUS THEIR MAFIA NETWORKS ON MY HOT PURSUIT DEVISING ALL STRATEGIES TO MURDER ME
2012 ON WARDS
- STILL SURVIVING THE MAFIAS,LIVING IN FEAR AND PAIN,BEING HUNTED LEFT,RIGHT AND CENTER BY MAFIAS PLUS THEIR NETWORKS.
- ON 29/JANUARY/2004 DURING RADIO ONE EKIMEEZA TALKSHOW AT CLUB OBBLIGATTO I REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF MUSEVENI CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION BOUGHT FROM NORTH KOREA AND IRAN-THAT WAS HIDDEN UNDER GULU AIRPORT HUNKER AND THE UNITED NATIONS GRABBED,DESTROYED AND TOOK AWAY THE REMAINING ONES TO UNKNOWN DESTINATION-THIS IS ONE REASON WHY PRESIDENT MUSEVENI AND HIS MAFIAS CAN NEVER-NEVER-I SAY NEVER FORGIVE ME SINCE I EXPOSED AND SPOILED THEIR DEADLY DESTRUCTIVE AGENDA FOR NORTHERN UGANDA!!!
ON-TOP OF THE ABOVE,NO TERM LIMITS PROMOTING LIFE PRESIDENCY, CREATING HOPELESSNESS, UNCERTAINTY & CONSOLIDATING APARTHIED PLUS TRIBALISM, THERE IS MASSIVE POVERTY,UNEMPLOYMENT,HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES,IMPUNITY,MURDERS,INEQUALITY,GENOCIDE,DISUNITY IN THE COUNTRY,ETC
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