{UAH} Depleted Uganda soils, a real ignored tragedy for our economy.
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http://mbararanews.co.ug/depleted-uganda-soils-a-real-ignored-tragedy-for-our-economy/
By Rukundo Paul Rwabihurwa
Uganda is in the comparatively enviable position of having a large percentage of its land arable, and much of that not yet under cultivation. Approximately 75 percent of the country's land is relatively fertile and receives sufficient rainfall for rain-fed cropping or pasture. Only around 30 percent of the arable land is currently under cultivation. The agricultural population is concentrated in Eastern, Southern and Western Uganda, and zones within those areas have very high population densities.
In several regions, important signs of soil degradation trends are apparent including declining yields and a switch to crops that demand fewer nutrients. Indeed, food production has not kept up with the country's population growth despite an expansion of the area under crops. Per capita food production hit a low in 1980, and even with recent increases it has not reached the levels of the 1970's (NEMA 2001).
The expansion of area under cultivation has been primarily due to short and medium-distance migration and conversion of wetlands, grasslands and forests to crops. This has come at the price of some environmental problems. With peace and security, new longer distance migration can be expected with an increase in land under crops. It is critical to both reduce land degradation in areas already under cultivation, and to ensure sustainable land management practices to prevent degradation in the areas that will be placed under cultivation in the near future.
Uganda's comparative advantage in climate and soils means that it has the potential to become an important producer of agricultural products if sustainable systems of production are implemented.
Soil degradation costs our economy Shs225 billion per annum, according to the National Development Plan phase two (NDP2). A number of NDP2 background documents isolate soil degradation as the major threat to declining arable land and achieving of middle income status.
The only available estimate of the economic impact of land degradation is a 1991 thesis and this continues to be cited in governmental reports (Slade and Weitz 1991; NEMA 2001). In the thesis, Slade and Weitz estimated that 4% to 12% of the national GNP was lost due to environmental degradation. Soil erosion contributed 85% and water contamination 9% of the loss, with biodiversity loss, water hyacinth and deforestation contributing the remainder.
The value of the total in 1991 was in the range of $170-460 million per annum (Kazoora 2002). Current values (2003) are in the range of $230-$600 million. The lack of economic estimates of degradation is attributed to the deficiencies in the collection or dissemination of natural resources information by the relevant research institutions (Zake et al. 1999).
In addition to the loss of land productivity, the siltation of lakes and rivers associated with erosion is leading to problems of eutrophication and reductions of fish populations. This problem is severe where former wetlands adjacent to lakes and rivers have been converted to cropping. Severely affected areas include Manafa, Kafu, Nyamwamba and the Nile River. Lake Victoria is also experiencing heavy sedimentation along its shores.
Agricultural productivity has slightly reduced in general, with wide gaps between output per hectare produced on experimental plots and what the average Ugandan farmers harvests. Bashaasha et al. cite a report from Ohio State University that actual yields as a percentage of potential levels are 51% for maize, 68% for soybeans, and 55% for sunflowers. The low yields are attributed to a lack of modernized farming methods, lack of yield-enhancing investments from improved science and technology that would come from agricultural research. Other factors that have delayed intensification include the under-development of regional markets that would permit trade of commodities between regions, a labor constraint on many farms and inadequate government services including improved infrastructure.
The socioeconomic reasons for land degradation and low productivity on small-scale farms nationally have been attributed to a number of factors which include, Poverty and land fragmentation leading to over-exploitation of the land with inadequate soil and water conservation practices, Increased rural population densities with few non-farm income opportunities, Low levels of commodity trade and the production of lower value commodities, reducing incentives to invest in the soil, Little farmer knowledge of improved agricultural technologies, insufficient agricultural research that takes into account the needs and resource constraints of farmers, and a lack of effective agricultural extension, Inappropriate farming practices/ systems including deforestation, bush burning and overgrazing.
If all the above is not checked, then achieving goal number 2 under sustainable development goals will be a night mare for an agricultural country like Uganda. In the recent research studies done by Agency for Transformation, and other regional and international bodies, we have found that the most promising and profitable technological option for improving soil productivity is using a combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers, and application of soil erosion measures to keep our soils intact. If this is achieved to the maximum, it will help in replenishing the lost fertility in our soils.
The writter is a Policy Advocacy officer at Agency for Transformation.
--
-- By Rukundo Paul Rwabihurwa
Uganda is in the comparatively enviable position of having a large percentage of its land arable, and much of that not yet under cultivation. Approximately 75 percent of the country's land is relatively fertile and receives sufficient rainfall for rain-fed cropping or pasture. Only around 30 percent of the arable land is currently under cultivation. The agricultural population is concentrated in Eastern, Southern and Western Uganda, and zones within those areas have very high population densities.
In several regions, important signs of soil degradation trends are apparent including declining yields and a switch to crops that demand fewer nutrients. Indeed, food production has not kept up with the country's population growth despite an expansion of the area under crops. Per capita food production hit a low in 1980, and even with recent increases it has not reached the levels of the 1970's (NEMA 2001).
The expansion of area under cultivation has been primarily due to short and medium-distance migration and conversion of wetlands, grasslands and forests to crops. This has come at the price of some environmental problems. With peace and security, new longer distance migration can be expected with an increase in land under crops. It is critical to both reduce land degradation in areas already under cultivation, and to ensure sustainable land management practices to prevent degradation in the areas that will be placed under cultivation in the near future.
Uganda's comparative advantage in climate and soils means that it has the potential to become an important producer of agricultural products if sustainable systems of production are implemented.
Soil degradation costs our economy Shs225 billion per annum, according to the National Development Plan phase two (NDP2). A number of NDP2 background documents isolate soil degradation as the major threat to declining arable land and achieving of middle income status.
The only available estimate of the economic impact of land degradation is a 1991 thesis and this continues to be cited in governmental reports (Slade and Weitz 1991; NEMA 2001). In the thesis, Slade and Weitz estimated that 4% to 12% of the national GNP was lost due to environmental degradation. Soil erosion contributed 85% and water contamination 9% of the loss, with biodiversity loss, water hyacinth and deforestation contributing the remainder.
The value of the total in 1991 was in the range of $170-460 million per annum (Kazoora 2002). Current values (2003) are in the range of $230-$600 million. The lack of economic estimates of degradation is attributed to the deficiencies in the collection or dissemination of natural resources information by the relevant research institutions (Zake et al. 1999).
In addition to the loss of land productivity, the siltation of lakes and rivers associated with erosion is leading to problems of eutrophication and reductions of fish populations. This problem is severe where former wetlands adjacent to lakes and rivers have been converted to cropping. Severely affected areas include Manafa, Kafu, Nyamwamba and the Nile River. Lake Victoria is also experiencing heavy sedimentation along its shores.
Agricultural productivity has slightly reduced in general, with wide gaps between output per hectare produced on experimental plots and what the average Ugandan farmers harvests. Bashaasha et al. cite a report from Ohio State University that actual yields as a percentage of potential levels are 51% for maize, 68% for soybeans, and 55% for sunflowers. The low yields are attributed to a lack of modernized farming methods, lack of yield-enhancing investments from improved science and technology that would come from agricultural research. Other factors that have delayed intensification include the under-development of regional markets that would permit trade of commodities between regions, a labor constraint on many farms and inadequate government services including improved infrastructure.
The socioeconomic reasons for land degradation and low productivity on small-scale farms nationally have been attributed to a number of factors which include, Poverty and land fragmentation leading to over-exploitation of the land with inadequate soil and water conservation practices, Increased rural population densities with few non-farm income opportunities, Low levels of commodity trade and the production of lower value commodities, reducing incentives to invest in the soil, Little farmer knowledge of improved agricultural technologies, insufficient agricultural research that takes into account the needs and resource constraints of farmers, and a lack of effective agricultural extension, Inappropriate farming practices/ systems including deforestation, bush burning and overgrazing.
If all the above is not checked, then achieving goal number 2 under sustainable development goals will be a night mare for an agricultural country like Uganda. In the recent research studies done by Agency for Transformation, and other regional and international bodies, we have found that the most promising and profitable technological option for improving soil productivity is using a combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers, and application of soil erosion measures to keep our soils intact. If this is achieved to the maximum, it will help in replenishing the lost fertility in our soils.
The writter is a Policy Advocacy officer at Agency for Transformation.
--
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