AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE AND THE UGANDA PEOPLE’S DEFENCE FORCES

While we celebrate the arrival of the rains for our first cropping season 2015, we are also apprehensive of a major change in our agricultural system – the allocation to the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) the role of logistical distribution of planting material; a role which has been removed from trained agricultural extension workers. Apparently, the logic is that the UPDF will only distribute the planting material and then the agricultural extension service providers will either precede or follow up with agricultural advisory services.

Sadly, the negative impact of using the army – UPDF – to logistically distribute seeds is coming fast and furious. “Ngora Town council is stranded with 900 kilograms of maize and 90 kilograms of beans meant for seed inputs to farmers” according to the Ngora Town Clerk as quoted on social media. Apparently, the ‘beneficiary’ farmers were scared to pick up the seeds for fear…