Food security and farmer
entrepreneurship in areas that are in
transition from emergency to
development:
A case of Lango and Acholi sub-regions.
Desk Study for Agri-ProFocus Uganda
Food Security Group
By
John Jagwe
May 2011
Agricultural Economist privately hired to do this study. Email: johnjagwe@gmail.com
Executive Summary
This study was commissioned by the Food Security group of Agri-ProFocus (APF) as
part of an Action-learning process aimed at identifying the opportunities and
challenges that farmers especially in Lango and Acholi sub regions are facing if they
want to commercialize and how this could affect their food security situation.
The methodology utilised in this study involved a desk review of secondary data
relating to food security and commercialisation of farming in Northern Uganda. This
included, reviewing progress reports and several documents produced by agencies
and organisations working in this region. Complementary information was obtained
by holding interviews with a few selected members of the APF, other development
partners working on food security and commercialisation of farming in Northern
Uganda.
The study outlines the national outlook on food security and commercialisation
highlighting the perceptions, policies, strategies and interventions on food security
and commercialisation of farming at a national level. The challenges faced and
opportunities envisaged are highlighted while identifying the common characteristics
of food insecure households in Uganda. The influence of gender in Uganda’s
agriculture is clearly outlined basing on previously done studies.
The study identifies the following as the main challenges to commercialisation of
farming in Northern Uganda and they include: erratic climate, low productivity, poor
infrastructure, inadequate business development support services, low levels of
mechanisation, weak farmer institutions, inadequate post harvest and processing
capacity and the dependence syndrome attitude held by the previously displaced
population. The study identifies opportunities for commercialisation of farming and
these included the willingness of private sector, government and development
organisations to be actively involved in the process where each party would play its
significant role. Furthermore, the dual rainfall pattern especially in some parts of
Lango and the good soils are also mentioned as an opportunity.
A list of commodities suitable for commercialisation has been produced and these
include maize, simsim, cotton, rice, sunflower, groundnuts, fruits, cassava, honey
and soya. The study discusses the potential risk to food security when farming is
commercialised and the characteristics of food insecure households in Northern
Uganda. The involvement of stakeholders on food security issues and
commercialisation of farming has been summarised in a table and conclusions
together with appropriate recommendations made.
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
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Contents
Executive Summary.......................................................................................... ii
Contents ........................................................................................................ iii
List of Tables .................................................................................................. iii
Glossary......................................................................................................... iv
1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Background ............................................................................................ 1
1.2 Objective of the study .............................................................................. 2
2. Findings ...................................................................................................... 3
2.1 National outlook on Food security and Commercialisation ............................. 3
2.1.1 Perception towards food security and commercialisation ........................ 3
2.1.2 National policies, strategies and interventions on food security and
commercialisation of farming ...................................................................... 3
2.1.3 Challenges facing Food Security and Commercialisation at a national level
............................................................................................................... 5
2.1.4 Opportunities that can improve Food Security and Commercialisation at a
national level ............................................................................................ 6
2.1.5 Common characteristics of food insecure households ............................. 7
2.1.6 Gender patterns in Uganda’s Agriculture .............................................. 7
2.2 Food security and Commercialisation in Northern Uganda (Acholi and Lango) 11
2.2.1 Introduction ................................................................................... 11
2.2.2 Challenges that hinder commercialisation of farming and suggestions of
remedies ................................................................................................ 11
2.2.3 Opportunities for farmers to commercialise ........................................ 13
2.2.4 Commodities suitable for commercialisation ........................................ 14
2.2.5 Potential risks to Food Security when farming is commercialised ........... 16
2.2.6 An analysis of potential risk to food security when farmers commercialise
............................................................................................................. 16
2.2.7 Characteristics underlying Food Insecurity in Northern Uganda ............. 17
2.2.8 Stakeholder involvement in food security and commercialisation of
farming .................................................................................................. 17
3. Conclusions ............................................................................................... 19
4. Recommendations ...................................................................................... 20
References .................................................................................................... 22
Annex 1: List of persons contacted during this study .......................................... 23
Annex 2: Map of Uganda livelihoods zones ........................................................ 24
List of Tables
Table 1: Inequality in Land owned 2005-2006 ..................................................... 8
Table 2: Households (%) involved in agriculture by location and sex of household
head ............................................................................................................... 9
Table 3: Risk analysis of food insecurity versus commercialisation in Lango and
Acholi subregions ........................................................................................... 17
Table 4: Organisations working on Food security and Commercialisation of farming in
Acholi & Lango sub regions .............................................................................. 18
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
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Glossary
APF
COMESA
EAC
FEWSNET
FIVIMS
GoU
MAAIF
MoES
MoFPED
MTTI
NAADS
NDP
NSDS
NUSAF
OPM
PAD
PEAP
PFA
PMA
SACCOs
UBOS
UEPB
UIRI
UNBS
UPE
USE
Agri-ProFocus
Common Market for East & Southern Africa
East African Community
Famine Early Warning Systems Network
Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems
Government of Uganda
Ministry of agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries
Ministry of Education and Sports
Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development
Ministry of Tourism Trade and Industry
National Agricultural Advisory Services
National Development Plan
National Service Delivery Survey
Northern Uganda Social Action Fund
Office of the Prime Minister
Poverty Alleviation Department, Office of the President
Poverty Eradication Action Plan
Prosperity for All
Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture
Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations
Uganda Bureau of Statistics
Uganda Export Promotion Board
Uganda Industrial Research Institute
Uganda National Bureau of standards
Universal Primary Education
Universal Secondary Education
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1. Introduction
1.1 Background
Food insecurity refers to a situation that exists when people cannot access to
sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences
for an active and healthy life (FIVIMS1). Food insecurity (chronic, seasonal or
transitory) may be caused by:
 The unavailability of food
 Insufficient purchasing power
 Inappropriate distribution or lack of social or economic access to adequate food
 Inadequate use of food at the household level
Although many parts of Uganda enjoy adequate food security throughout the year due
to favorable weather conditions, some parts of the country experience food insecurity
situations. The number of food insecure people in Uganda is estimated at about 1.1
Million people with 81 percent of this population located in North Eastern Uganda while
the rest are located in the Northern and Eastern parts of Uganda (FEWSNET, 2010).
Many factors contribute to food insecurity in these areas, varying between regions and
livelihood systems. These include unreliable climatic conditions (particularly recurring
droughts and floods), low productivity, crop and animal pests and diseases, and
declining soil fertility. Food insecurity is also the result of man-made factors, such as
prolonged conflicts and civil insecurity, particularly in the northern region
(UNHCR/WFP/GoU-OPM, 2011).
Over the last year ICCO2, ZOA3 and Oxfam GB4 have indicated to be interested to link
their work on Food Security in Northern Uganda with the work of AgriProFocus (APF) 5.
Agri-ProFocus (APF), founded in 2005, is a partnership of 26 Dutch donor agencies,
credit institutions, training and knowledge institutions and companies. Their shared
mission is to provide coherent and demand driven support to enhance the capacity of
producer organizations (PO’s) in developing farmer entrepreneurship within the context
of poverty reduction. One of the main goals of APF is to build solid, transparent and
action-oriented support programmes to promote farmer entrepreneurship.
ICCO, ZOA and Oxfam GB have had a number of meetings, which were mainly focused
on sharpening the focus of the food security group in relation with the objectives of
APF in Uganda. In the annual APF meeting the group presented their initial ideas to
members of other thematic groups and members expressed interest in a thematic
group on Food Security linked to Farmer entrepreneurship. The interest of the current
members is in sharing different organizations' work in relation to food security in
Northern Uganda, learning from each others good practices and challenges especially
in the uniqueness of the areas in transition and in identifying opportunities within APF
to integrate food security in farmer entrepreneurship.
In order to attain ample information to start a meaningful discussion on how to
influence and empower farmers in Acholi and Lango sub-regions to engage in farming
1
2
3
4
5
http://www.fivims.org/
A Dutch NGO working in Northern Uganda. www.icco.nl
A Christian Dutch NGO working in Northern Uganda www.zoa.nl
A worldwide aid and development charity working in Northern Uganda www.oxfam.org.uk
A hub for promoting farmer entrepreneurship
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
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as a business6 while also taking into account their household food security needs, the
group identified the need to do a (desk) study to explore the available materials on
agro business development and food security in transitional situations to identify
opportunities and challenges and get the needed background information.
1.2 Objective of the study
The main objective of the study is to identify the opportunities and challenges facing
the farmers in Lango and Acholi sub regions as they tend to commercialize and how
this could affect their food security situation.
The key questions to be answered by this study at a national level analysis to set the
framework for the Lango and Acholi sub-regions include the following:
 What is the national/governmental perception towards food security and
commercialization?
 What are the rural development policies and agricultural policies linked to food
security and farmer entrepreneurship?
 Identify challenges and opportunities related to food availability, nutrition and
food quality, and food insecure areas in Uganda?
 Identify common characteristics of food insecure households?
 From literature, identify whether there are gender patterns in agriculture in
Uganda?
The key questions to be answered specifically for Acholi and Lango sub-regions aim to:
 Identify challenges that prevent farmers to commercialize from an
informal/formal institutional, policy and legal framework, processes and
systems perspective.
 Identify existing opportunities for farmers to commercialize from an
informal/formal institutional, policy and legal framework, processes and
systems perspective.
 Analyze the potential risks to food security when farmers get involved in
commercialization
 Identify common characteristics underlying food insecurity in the sub regions
 Map stakeholder that are active in food security and commercialization in the
sub regions
 Provide and overview of the intervention strategies used by government, NGOs
and farmer associations/groups in these regions and the pros and cons of these
strategies on balancing commercialization and food security.
For the purpose of this desk study ‘farming as a business’ and commercialization are defined as: ‘ produce
what you can sell, instead of trying to sell what you have produced’ (CIAT).
6
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2. Findings
2.1 National outlook on Food security and Commercialisation
2.1.1 Perception towards food security and commercialisation
Agriculture is considered a core sector for economic growth, food security, income
enhancement and employment (NDP, 2009). Although the sector’s share in total gross
domestic product (GDP) has declined from over 50 percent in the early 1990s to 21.4
percent in 2007/08 (UBOS, 2008), on account of faster growth in the services and
industrial sectors, agriculture remains the most important sector because the majority
of Ugandans derive their livelihoods from agriculture. The sector employs 77 percent of
the population aged 10 years and older (UBOS, 2008). Approximately 75 percent of
the households in Uganda are engaged in agriculture, and 68 percent of all households
derive their livelihoods from subsistence agriculture (UBOS, 2007).
The Presidential Manifesto of 2006 that had its slogan as “Bonna Bagaggawale” or
‘Prosperity for All’ (PFA) and focused on promoting agricultural modernization, export
growth and industrialization. Its mission was to spur commercial agriculture, improve
services; promote industrial production with a focus on value addition for rapid
economic and social development. The main goal of PFA was to see that each Ugandan
household has income generating activities that give it an income stream in the short
and long term. It entailed organizing farmers into dynamic business producer groups
that can add value to their products and market them.
2.1.2 National policies, strategies and interventions on food security and
commercialisation of farming
Zoning strategy: Over the next five years (2010–2015), the government of Uganda
intends to focus its interventions on a few strategic enterprises or commodities in the
ten agricultural production zones. Agricultural zoning and enterprise selection will
guide public investments in agriculture. Government has selected specific enterprises
for the ten agricultural production zones which government delineated in 2004 based
on several factors including agro-ecological factors. With this approach, the
government intends to focus on two to three strategic enterprises every financial year
(starting with FY 2009/10), in the different agricultural production zones across the
country (see Annex 2). Depending on the nature of the commodity and its
requirements for sustainability, government may have to provide support for more
than one financial year. The major enterprises will include coffee, tea, fish, dairy,
meat, poultry, maize, rice, apiculture and fruits (citrus and pineapples). The criteria for
selecting the enterprises include: contribution to GDP, distribution of growth benefits,
food security and market availability (GoU 2004; NDP 2009).
Strategic Interventions: The country is already feeling the effects of the global
financial crisis and the shilling is depreciating against major currencies. One way to
prevent further depreciation of the shilling is to increase the inflow of foreign exchange
through increasing agricultural exports in regional and international markets. The
current structure of agricultural production is not suited for this, hence the need to
select and support some strategic commodities, especially those with a ready market
in regional markets. Such commodities include grains (maize, rice), pulses (beans,
groundnuts), fruits (citrus, pineapples), livestock (poultry, dairy and beef cattle,
goats), and fish. While promoting and supporting these commodities in various
production zones, MAAIF will continue to support other enterprises, especially those
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that ensure household food security such as root crops (cassava, Irish potatoes),
bananas and vegetables. Government will also continue supporting the traditional cash
crops: coffee, cotton and tea.
The strategies to be used in order to achieve the agriculture sector objectives will
include:
 Raising factor (land, labour, capital) productivity in crops, livestock, and
fisheries by promoting adoption of appropriate technologies for farmers and
reducing losses through control of pests and diseases.
 Promoting production and storage of staple foods at household level to ensure
food security in the short-run, but as incomes rise households will rely more on
the market for food security.
 Promoting agro-processing industries to add value and create jobs in rural and
urban areas through public-private partnerships.
 Promoting the development of commodity value chains for strategic agricultural
commodities.
 Exploring and developing market opportunities (market access) for agricultural
products within Uganda, EAC, COMESA and other international markets.
The Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture (PMA): The Plan for Modernisation of
Agriculture was a holistic policy framework for agriculture and rural development
aimed at boosting agriculture in Uganda. It was coordinated by MAAIF but hosted by
MoFPED and the implementation was by local governments at district and sub-county
levels. However, implementation of PMA was hurt by lack of effective coordination
among the different government agencies.
The PMA was concerned with taking care of research, advisory services, pest and
disease control, water for production, primary processing, Agricultural Information
Services. Through the PMA, government launched the National Agricultural Advisory
Service (NAADS) meant to provide extension services to the farmers.
Prosperity For All (PFA): Prosperity for all commonly known as Bonabagagawale is a
Government program which has been developed to transform the rural economy
through boosting productivity, processing and marketing of the small holder farmers
using the notion of trickle down approach targeting the active poor people with in
society. It is built on different components ranging from Universal Primary Education
(UPE), Universal Secondary Education (USE), Health programs, Savings and Credit
Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs), NAADS, Community Information Systems,
Poverty Alleviation Department (PAD) of the Presidents Office, and the security
systems for a secure operating environment.
All these components are run by different departments with one goal to lead towards
society transformation and prosperity for all. It is also very clear that each of the
different components target the same people and, therefore, experience different
realities and challenges during implementation. “Prosperity For All” (PFA) portrays the
Government’s vision to transform the poor (mainly in rural areas) into productive and
prosperous communities. The programme, as indicated above, is expected to be a
multiplicity of integrated and interrelated social and economic actions aimed at getting
communities out of poverty.
PFA aims at deepening Government interventions at the community and household
level to address structural bottlenecks to production and marketing. It focuses on
wealth creation through market-led production. The general policy objective of PFA is
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to empower households with at least 1 hectare of land to meet basic needs and have a
target gross income of at least Ugsh 20 Million per year within 3-5years. More
specifically, PFA aims at improving agricultural productivity, increasing access to
financial services and enhancing market access and value addition.
The PFA program is yet to be evaluated but its performance is linked to several other
factors such as;
 the land policy which determines households’ access to reasonable land,
 extension service delivery which improves farming skills and hence productivity
 access to capital
 supportive rural infrastructure (roads, markets, processing units, electricity)
2.1.3 Challenges facing Food Security and Commercialisation at a national level
As per the several pieces of literature reviewed, the following is a summary of the
major challenges facing food security and commercialisation of farming at a national
level.
 Lack of proper analysis and understanding commodity chains has led to several
of these misguided investments in agriculture, often to the detriment of
thousands of smallholder farmers.
 Defining and protecting land rights is critical for the transformation of the
sector. Failure to strengthen property rights for land owners and land users
under the different land tenure systems (mailo, freehold, leasehold and
customary) discourages long-term investments in medium and large scale in
farming. Government aims to separate land ownership and land use by law. The
land use policy will aim to discourage owners of large tracts of land from
keeping them idle, but in so doing government will guide utilization of land
without compromising ownership of that land.
 Inadequate investment in infrastructure especially in the rural areas where the
majority of the population resides hampers the commercialisation process. The
limited capacity to store, process and add value to agricultural produce is
largely due to the weak infrastructure and this affects both food security and
commercialisation of farming.
 Changing weather patterns such as prolonged dry seasons, floods and erratic
rainfall patterns greatly affect the crop production system which is largely
dependent on rainfall.
 Improper implementation of government programs aimed at improving food
security and commercialisation is a serious challenge faced. Implementation is
greatly affected by corruption and inefficiency notwithstanding the complexity in
nature of some programs
 Inadequate extension and business development services (e.g. credit, market
information) availed to farmers.
 Inadequate business skills amongst the faming population exacerbated by low
levels of education.
 Poor observance of quality standards along the entire supply chain
 Uncoordinated interventions by stakeholders (NGOs, private sector,
government)
The following are some of the interventions that may be considered to improve Food
security and commercialisation of farming in Uganda. They include:
 Urging the government’s to increasing investments in rural infrastructure which is
critical in linking input and output markets, production and consumption points.
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
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 Encouraging agricultural financing schemes need to be developed to encourage
medium and long-term investments in the sector. (e.g. SACCOs, Micro Financial
Institutions…)
 Exploiting regional markets such as such as EAC and COMESA. In order for this
to happen, quality standards have to be developed and enforced and this is the
responsibility of Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), Ministry of trade
(MTTI) and the Export promotion Board (UEPB). prospect of trading through
regional blocks is an opportunity worth exploiting. Supportive infrastructure is
crucial to make such opportunities come to fruition.
 There is need to further emphasize human resource development (MoES,
MAAIF) to produce a pool of qualified personnel to provide advisory and other
technical services to farmers.
 It may important to take advantage of the Development Strategy and
Investment Plan (DSIP) of MAAIF, the public sector investments that are
required to support the development of commodity value chains include:
o
Agricultural advisory (extension) services to provide knowledge and skills to
farmers, and promote adoption of appropriate technologies in the sector
o
Agricultural research and technology development to generate demanddriven technologies based on needs of farmer agricultural production zones
o
Disease and pest control to reduce losses and ensure that products meet
the basic food safety standards for both domestic and export market
o
Water resources for agricultural production including irrigation and other
water management and conservation measures
o
Mechanisation and farm management related investments
o
Basic storage and post-harvest handling technologies to support primary
level processing of agricultural products
o
Agricultural, institutional, production and marketing infrastructure
o
Agricultural information and management system to support planning,
monitoring and evaluation.
o
Enhancing policy and planning
2.1.4 Opportunities that can improve Food Security and Commercialisation at a
national level
The following are some of the opportunities that may be considered vital in improving
Food security and commercialisation of farming in Uganda. They include:
 The opening up of regional markets for agricultural commodities (e.g. South
Sudan, COMESA), which offer attractive prices can be considered as an
incentive to stimulate increased production
 The increased investment by private sector into agro-processing and value
addition hence providing a ready market for what farmers produce. Some of the
private sector partners who have invested in agro-processing and marketing of
produce in Uganda include: Mukwano Industries, Mount Meru, Dunavant, Olam,
Capital Reef and Shares Uganda. Other partners (e.g. WFP) have established
produce stores especially in Northern Uganda with the aim of purchasing food
directly from farmers at reasonable prices. This is an opportunity for farmers to
sell their surplus production and earn some revenue.
 Some improvement in physical infrastructure especially considering the road
works budget allocation by government in the previous two years which has
resulted into the rehabilitation of the national roads which link the food
producing areas to major markets. Better roads are making it easier for traders
to easily access to areas where food is produced.
 The existence of SACCOs (Savings and Credit organisations supported by
government) and other micro credit institutions which can avail credit to
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farmers is also another opportunity for improving food security and
commercialising farming in Uganda.
 The existing support mainly from NGOs towards improving productivity through
agronomic skills improvement, availing of agro-inputs, use of animal traction
and support towards processing, value addition and marketing should be
considered as an opportunity to improve food security and commercialise
farming.
 Improved peace and stability especially in Northern Uganda which had been
ravaged by war for the previous two decades is an opportunity for farmers to
uninterruptedly engage in agriculture for food security and commercialisation.
2.1.5 Common characteristics of food insecure households
Basing on the literature, the following are the common characteristics of households
that are food insecure:
 Limited access to and shortage of productive resources such as Land.
Households with smaller land holdings are more likely to suffer food insecurity
and low income with uneven distribution throughout the year.
 Female headed households are also very vulnerable to food insecurity due to
their limited access and rights to productive resources (e.g. land) which are
mainly dominated by males. Limited rights to land may imply less investment in
sustainable agricultural interventions which are vital for enhancing food
security.
 Child headed households and those headed by the aged are more likely to
suffer food insecurity due to the compromising of family labour available for
production. This occurrence is mainly attributed to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS.
 Households located in areas of low economic activity are also very vulnerable to
food insecurity. This is mainly attributed to poor access to input and output
markets together with fewer opportunities to earn income from other non-farm
economic activities which makes the households very dependent on agriculture
to meet both the food and non-food requirements. Furthermore, much of the
productive population tends to migrate from rural areas to urban areas in
search of social amenities and greater economic opportunities.
 Population displacement especially in areas characterized with social unrest and
instability are also very likely to be food insecure. This is mainly because
instability disrupts farming activities hence making households vulnerable
hunger.
 Adverse climate (i.e. prolonged droughts, floods) is also characteristic of food
insecure households. As climate patterns are increasingly changing and
becoming more unpredictable, this has a negative effect on farming which is
largely rain dependent.
 Limited processing and storage capacity
 Households located in areas with weak infrastructure entailing poor access to
information, extension services, input and output markets.
2.1.6 Gender patterns in Uganda’s Agriculture
The gender gap imposes real costs on society in terms of lost agricultural output, food
security and economic growth. Promoting gender equality is not only good for women;
it is also good for agricultural development. Women make essential contributions to
the rural economy as farmers, labourers and entrepreneurs (FAO, 2011).
Gender and land ownership:
In Uganda, one third of households (26.9%) are female headed while 73.1% are male
headed (UBOS, 2007). Land in Uganda is highly concentrated and unequally
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distributed across the regions, between income groups and by gender. Land inequality
is highest in the central region, followed by the Western, Eastern and Northern
regions. Land is concentrated among the wealthier households and inequality is higher
in urban than rural areas. There are deeply rooted gender biases in land ownership
rights: male-headed households hold between 80% and 90% of the ownership rights
of the land available in Uganda (Nayenga, 2008).
The 2005/06 UBOS national household survey investigated the total land size owned
by different household types. The survey showed similar results to earlier research
confirming that male headed households hold more than twice the land size held by
female headed households. This is a disadvantage to women who do the bulk of
farming activities in households most of which is land based. Larger land size has been
found to be a key determinant for male-headed households increasing their incomes
and moving out of poverty, which is not the case for female-headed households whose
asset levels are so low to impact positively on income growth. The male-headed
households are able to use land at their disposal as collateral to access credit and also
use it for cash crops and livestock rearing, hence the increase in incomes. Households
that had titled land were found to be much wealthier than the others.
Table 1: Inequality in Land owned 2005-2006
Source: UBOS-UNHSIII, Ssewanyana & Okidi, 2007.
Gender and Land improvements
The main investments undertaken on land to improve its quality and value as well as
for soil conservation include construction of bunds, terracing, mulching and tree
planting. Compared to five years ago, there has been an increase in land, soil and
water conservation practices among all household types. Both male and female-headed
households are equally engaged in making these land investments. Of all these
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practices, mulching is the most commonly practiced by households headed by the
unmarried, married and divorced (Nayenga, 2008).
Gender and agricultural activity
As indicated above, there are more male-headed households (73.1%) than femaleheaded households (26.9%) in Uganda (UBOS 2007). However, approximately 64.3%
of the male headed households in the adult category (countrywide) were found to be
engaged in agriculture. On the other hand, approximately 54.2% of the female headed
households in the adult category (countrywide) were found to engage in agriculture
(see Table 2). The elderly headed households are more greatly involved in agriculture
as a means of livelihood than all the other age categories regardless of the gender of
the household head. It should however be noted that children headed households too,
especially in the rural areas are highly engaged in agriculture.
Table 2: Households (%) involved in agriculture by location and sex of
household head
Source: Nayenga 2008.
In most districts, the male-headed households act as employers within the agricultural
sector while female-headed households are largely own account workers or employees.
Female employers are only to be found in the Central region and parts of the Eastern
and Western region and not the Northern region.
The crops grown commonly by households to which some substantial land is allocated
include coffee, cotton, matooke, maize, beans and cassava. Approximately 42% of the
female-headed households were found in the 2005/06 household survey to have
allocated less than 20% of the land to coffee, preferring to put much of their land to
farming matooke, maize and beans. Slightly over 48% of the male-headed households
had allocated more than 40% of their land to coffee; 44% had allocated more than
60% of their land to matooke and 55% had allocated more than 40% of their land to
maize. The male-headed households allocated much less land to growing beans and
cassava than the female headed households. In the cotton growing areas, both male
and female-headed households consider this an important income generating
commodity and hence universally allocated more than 60% of their land to growing it
(Nayenga 2008).
More male-headed households were found to be growing the high value commodities
such as rice, pineapples, oranges, cabbages, tomatoes, tea and tobacco than femaleheaded households. Female-headed households tend to grow the food crops mainly
because of the time constraints (NSDS 2004).
Gender and Use of agricultural inputs
The 2005/06 national survey showed that use of improved agricultural inputs is
generally limited among all households in Uganda except for a few commodities. Apart
from cotton and maize, both male and female-headed households make limited use of
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improved seeds, fertilizers, manures and pesticides in the other crops. Less than 5% of
all households use any of the improved inputs for any given crop. Any attempts to
make use of improved inputs are primarily by married male-headed households and
married, divorced and widowed female-headed households. The unmarried irrespective
of sex hardly use any improved inputs especially since they are engaged in crop
farming a limited way.
A significant number of male-headed (42.20%) and female-headed (39.10%)
households use improved seeds as well as pesticides/herbicides/fungicides (43.30%
male-headed and 30.90% female-headed) in cotton. Most of these households are
located in the Eastern and Northern regions. The cotton market is highly differentiated
with specific types of improved cotton varieties required on the market. It is also
highly prone to pests and diseases requiring improved agronomic practices. This might
explain the relatively high use of improved inputs.
A small fraction of farmers (on average 15% for both sexes) use manure in matooke
while a few others used improved maize seeds, usage being higher among male
headed households (15.50%) than female headed households (11.70%). Improved
maize seeds are mostly used by farmers in eastern Uganda and to a lesser extent
those in the central region.
This evidence supports earlier findings from the (NSDS 2004) that indicated that
utilization of agricultural inputs was reported more in male than female headed
households. The most popular agricultural inputs were mentioned as improved seeds,
veterinary drugs, pesticides and hybrid seeds. The main reasons for non-use of
improved agricultural inputs were presented as lack of knowledge about the inputs,
being too expensive and non-availability. Among the female headed households, lack
of knowledge was the most important reason for non-use. Females often have limited
access to information and knowledge resulting from poor networking as they are less
mobile than their male counterparts (Nayenga 2008).
Gender and agricultural extension services
The majority of households in Uganda of all types indicated in the 2005/06 UNHS that
they had not accessed agricultural extension. Overall, only 7.4% of households had
accessed extension services. For the few that had accessed extension, access was
slightly higher among male-headed households (7.7%) than female-headed
households (6.8%). Most had accessed extension for 1-5 times a year. Among the
male-headed households, access was highest among the married while among the
female-headed households, all household types were accessing the services to some
extent.
These findings confirm earlier evidence from the NSDS 2004 that showed that about a
half of farming households, irrespective of sex had not received extension services for
crop and animal husbandry. The proportion of households that had never received crop
agricultural services was higher for female headed households (47.4%) than male
headed households (39.6%). Access was lowest among the single and divorced female
headed households and all households engaged in fish farming (close to 90% of male
headed households and female headed households had never accessed services).
Gender and market availability:
The Government mission under the agricultural sector is to cause a transformation
from subsistence to commercial agriculture through improved market access. Farmers
are motivated to produce when they are assured of a market for their commodities and
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
10
a good price. The majority of households reported availability of market for most of the
agricultural products within their sub-counties with exception of oranges, mangoes,
pineapples, cotton coffee, tobacco, simsim and rice (Nayenga 2008). These are the
high value commodities that are mostly grown by the male-headed households. Most
households reported improvements in markets for cattle, goats and poultry,
irrespective of the gender of the household head. Improvements were greater in urban
than rural areas. Market availability was higher for the female-headed households for
food crops such as groundnuts, beans, mangoes, sorghum and potatoes and much
lower for the higher value commodities such as pineapples, cabbages, tomatoes,
cotton, coffee, tobacco, cattle and goats. Low prices offered is the most important
constraint to marketing of agricultural produce affecting all household categories
followed by long distances to the markets and high market dues. Additionally, maleheaded households are more affected by the high transport costs and poor roads than
the female-headed households. Anecdotal evidence shows that men are more mobile
than women as they have income sources to pay for transport and own the key means
of transport like bicycles and vehicles. This might explain why they are more affected
by transport related problems. All these constraints are more felt in the rural than the
urban areas (Nayenga 2008).
2.2
Food security and Commercialisation in Northern Uganda (Acholi
and Lango)
2.2.1 Introduction
The challenges facing food security and commercialisation together with the
opportunities were mostly obtained from the view of several development agencies and
organisation working in this region. They included ICCO which works through several
partners (i.e. DETREC, NECPA, AFSRT, FAPAD, ICES and CGRID) in Lango,
Welthungerhilfe which operates in Lango, CESVI which operates in Lango and Acholi,
ZOA which operates in Acholi and Karamoja, VECO which operates in Acholi and Oxfam
which operates in Acholi and Karamoja.
After the 20 year civil conflicts, over 90% of the displaced populations have returned
and can produce their own food with some surplus for sale. The following major crops
are grown in this region: Sorghum, Simsim, Cassava, Cotton, Ground nuts, Sun flower,
Green grams, Beans, Maize, fruits, and vegetables, Tobacco and Rice. Apart from
Tobacco and Cotton the rest of the crops serve a dual purpose of being both food crops
and cash crops.
2.2.2 Challenges that hinder commercialisation of farming and suggestions of remedies
The stakeholder highlighted the following as the main challenges that hinder
commercialisation of farming. They include

Weather and climate: Though the region has two rain seasons and reasonably
fertile soils favourable to agriculture, the region some times experiences
drought conditions which affect crop production especially in regards to crops
grown for commercial purposes (e.g. simsim, sunflower, cotton). Prolonged
droughts also reduce crop productivity such that farmers find it challenging
produce a marketable surplus. The introduction of drought resistant varieties
may combat this problem to a certain extent.

Weak infrastructure: The absence of required supportive infrastructure
(electricity, community/feeder roads, storage and processing facilities) is a
major challenge to commercialisation of farming. This situation may be
combated by a deliberate effort to provide some infrastructure in rural areas
where most of the production occurs. Furthermore, the local government may
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
11







design incentives to attract private sector players to invest in some areas (e.g.
agro processing).
Low productivity: The low levels of productivity for most of the crops grown in
this region is a disincentive for commercialisation as farmers perpetually fail to
produce a marketable surplus let alone enough food for themselves. Low
productivity is as a result of low input usage, poor crop husbandry, inadequate
management of soil fertility, environmental degradation through deforestation
and high incidences of pests and diseases. Approximately 65% of farmers do
not use improved seed while those who do usually delay to acquire the seed
hence resulting in late planting (Draft National Seed Policy, 2009). This is
mainly due to poor access to improved seed by farmers who are mainly located
in remote areas. Low productivity can be tackled by enhancing agricultural
extension service provision closer to farmers and equipping extension workers
with adequate knowledge by adopting an coherent agricultural extension
curriculum.
Attitude: Since majority of the farming community in this region has lived on
food aid for the past two decades, they have, over the years, developed a
“dependence syndrome” which hampers the commercialisation process. There is
need for them to get a mind shift so as to understand that their livelihoods are
dependent on them.
Post harvest handling and processing: Majority of the farmers lack the
capacity to handle what they produce appropriately in terms of threshing,
drying, transporting and storage. This partly due to lack of knowledge and
partly due to lack of resources. When agricultural produce is not adequately
handled and processed, it ceases to be competitive in the market hence
hampering the commercialisation process. This challenge may be combated by
increasing training on post-harvest handling and on-farm processing of produce
for commercial marketing. NGOs may orient themselves towards making this
intervention.
Limited availability of labour: Instability and insurgency displaced majority
of the population. However, as peace and tranquillity returns to the region, it
will take some time for the productive population to return and engage in
serious agriculture. The weak infrastructure and lack of social amenities in rural
areas discourages the productive population from returning and hence the
tendency to migrate to urban areas. This challenge may be combatted by
government increasing investment in rural infrastructure and social services.
Low levels of mechanisation: The absence or very low levels of
mechanisation of most of the farm operations makes agriculture less
competitive hence hampering its commercialisation. Animal traction has been
earmarked as a means of providing some farm traction but the spread and
access to such services is still limited. The use of hand tractors may also be
exploited.
Low levels of education and individualism: The nature of agriculture in this
region is such that farmers are of low education and they tend to operate as
individuals with small parcels of land. This mode of operation does not allow for
the production of agro-commodities at fairly competitive prices and in
reasonable amounts to lower transaction costs hence this hampers the process
of commercialising farming.
Weak farmer institutions: The farmer institutions are still weak in many
districts. Farmers need to work together in order to meet the demands of
effective production, storage, processing and marketing. Government and NGOs
working with farmers may consider a cooperative approach towards bulking and
marketing.
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
12



Gender imbalance and Domestic violence: Women in the region are
responsible for most of the agricultural production. However deeply entrenched
engendered imbalance against them prevents them benefiting equally from
their labour and to benefit from the right of the value chains. The levels of
domestic violence some of them related to the post war effects, have affected
the constructive engagement of women. Gender mainstreaming should be
incorporated in all development programmes.
Lack of business support services: The lack of business support services
such as credit and market information services hamper the process of
commercialisation of farming. Farmers are unable to make informed decisions
on which enterprise to select and what profit to expect. Initiatives such as
Village Savings and Lending Associations (VSLA), Micro Finance Institutions
(MFIs) and Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) should be
promoted to cater for this challenge.
The post conflict situation is always faced with the challenges of resettlement
which create land ownership conflicts where women and the youth may be
marginalised. It is worth noting that it takes time for governance structures and
traditional systems to be re-established and hence the process of
commercialising farming is hampered.
2.2.3 Opportunities for farmers to commercialise
There is considerable potential as well as opportunities for farmers to benefit from
engaging in commercial agriculture and increase their involvement and benefits in the
value chain activities of number of crops. This is more so with the increasing demand
for food within the Horn and East African region as well as the rest of the world.
Farmers have got the opportunity of the existing support from NGOs and government
to organise themselves into effective producer groups and cooperatives that are also
able to provide marketing and financial services to their membership. The commitment
shown by the private sector to extend their operations to Northern Uganda is a clear
sign of an opportunity for commercialisation of farming. For instance there are
companies like Mukwano Industries which buys sunflower seeds and soya, Olam,
Capital Reef limited, Shares Uganda which buy simsim, Mount Meru which buys
simsim, sunflower and soya, KACOFA for Epuripur Sorghum (used for brewing beer)
and Dunavant for cotton. Some of these companies provide agro-inputs at reasonable
prices and they also offer some extension services. For instance, Mukwano Industries
is running an extension service program in Lango and Acholi through which farmers
are equipped with knowledge on sunflower and soya bean production while availing
them with quality agro-inputs and guarantees to purchase their produce. The WFP
through its Purchase for Progress (P4P) program has stepped up its local purchasing of
commodities (i.e. maize, beans) which is creating new market opportunities for
smallholder farmers.
There is a considerable demand for most of the crops mentioned above for the local
and regional markets and Northern Uganda has the advantage of proximity to Sudan.
Sudan is a major consumer of foods produced in Uganda. Some of the foods that are
currently exported to Sudan from the region are: Sorghum, ground nuts, cassava and
maize.
The region has two rain seasons and fertile soils favourable to agriculture. However,
the region sometimes experiences drought conditions which affect crop production.
Farmers have the opportunity of earning more if they plant drought resistant/early
maturing improved seed varieties for example Simsim II which takes two and a half
months to mature. In addition, if they harvest and store correctly the quality of the
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
13
harvest will be good. In terms of value addition, farmers can obtain higher prices for
their produce if they plant the demanded varieties, follow recommended agronomic
practices, maintain quality through improved post harvesting techniques and carry out
processing. There are limitations to value addition because most farmers still work
individually; even existing producer groups would require many members to make
processing economically viable (USAID, 2008).
2.2.4 Commodities suitable for commercialisation
In this sub-section, we look at the individual crops and the commercialisation
opportunities pertaining to each one of them.
Simsim: Simsim has a high local and international demand and is suitable for dry
conditions. The high temperature during the harvest season helps to dry the seed well.
This gives the region a competitive advantage over other areas of Uganda in terms of
the seed quality that can be produced. Farmers have the opportunity to earn more if
they have the market information about buyer requirements as well as if they dry the
seeds well after harvest, maintain appropriate storage, clean the seeds of debris and
dust and work collectively on marketing. In some sub counties stores have been
constructed to help in appropriate cleaning and storage. For example IRC, Oxfam, WFP
and FAO have supported the construction of a number of stores in Kitgum and Lamwo
districts. Farmer’s collective marketing committees were able to use these stores
between February and March 2011 to earn 400 million shillings at an average price of
2450/= compared to the prevailing market rate of Ugsh2300. Simsim II and organic
Simsim fetch a higher market price (Kyobe 2011). There are private sector
organisations like Shares Uganda that support and or buy organic Simsim at a higher
price.
Maize: Maize is not a traditional cash/food crop for the Acholi sub region but it is
slowly being adopted as its demand increases within the local and regional markets.
Currently the value addition activities involve the growing of varieties Longe 4 and 5,
cleaning and milling into flour mainly no. 2 or super in the rural and sub urban areas.
The maize can be sold as grain or flour to local markets and traders transporting to
distant markets including Southern Sudan. There is also an increasing opportunity to
sell to WFP which is largest grain buyer in Uganda. WFP has a relatively new five year
(2009-2013) Purchase for Progress (P4P) project that is providing considerable
opportunities for small scale farmers in this region to access markets and earn
incomes7. The project is supporting the farmers to increase productivity and this
includes training on post harvest handling and quality assurance. It is also supporting
market infrastructures like access roads and storage facilities.
Cotton: Cotton is a cash crop that has been grown in Uganda since the colonial times.
In recent years the price of cotton has risen due to the demand on the international
markets. In terms of value addition farmers have the opportunity to earn more if they
grow organic cotton which can be purchased at a higher price by companies like
Dunavant. Dunavant can supply the required seeds as well as help in ploughing.
Sunflower: Farmers have the opportunity to grow sunflower and mill it into cooking
oil and use the seed husks as ingredients for animal feeds. Companies like Mukwano
support farmers through contract farming by providing seeds post harvest handling
information and a market for the produce.
7
Purchase for Progress Implementation Plan. WFP Uganda Country Office. January 2009
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
14
Groundnuts: Ground nuts are grown on a small scale mainly for food and partly
because of the unpredictable weather conditions that make farmers risk averse.
Ground nuts production in Uganda is still relatively low therefore the prices are high
compared to beans. Prices are higher for varieties like red beauty but this variety is
susceptible to disease and is not drought resistant. This reduces its high potential
production in Acholi sub region. However farmers can grow the resistant varieties like
Serenut II, IV, V and VI. In terms of value addition the ground nuts can be shelled and
ground into powder or paste. Farmers will need to work collectively to afford the costs
of processing.
Fruits: Oranges and mangoes are the main fruits that are grown in the sub region.
The fruits can be sold fresh however yields low value because of the surplus production
during the harvest season. Farmers can add value by growing varieties that can
produce good juices and can be sold to juice processing companies. Strong producer
organisations can work with appropriate partners to process the juice them selves and
this can be sold to local markets and southern Sudan.
Rice: Rice is grown on average of 1-2 acres per farm. The market demand is
increasing but are not earning enough currently because they sell most of the rice in
husk. Farmers have the opportunity to double their earnings by de-husking the rice
and removing stones and grading. Farmers can afford to purchase and maintain
processing equipment by working in strong farmer groups.
Cassava: Cassava is one of the food security crops for the region. The support of
NAADS and NGOs has increased the level of the crop grown and more is expected to
be produced in years to come through multiplication gardens. The surplus production
can be harvested, pealed, cleaned and dried. The dried product can be milled into flour
or sold to local markets and Southern Sudan.
Honey: Honey is currently produced on a small scale in the region. The demand for
honey is high for both the local and international markets. Farmers have the
opportunity to diversify and reduce their dependency on crop production by engaging
in Apiary. Apiary is less labour intensive and is suitable for vulnerable groups. In order
to add value farmers will need to acquire knowledge on modern bee keeping
techniques, market requirements and work in strong groups to gain from synergies.
For example they need to acquire modern bee hives like the Kenya Top Bar Hive (KTB)
which can yield between 15KG and 20KG of honey per harvest. They also have to
desist from bush burnings that destroy the natural habitats.
Soya: The commitment by private sector (Mt. Meru and Mukwano) to invest in the
purchase and processing of soya beans by setting up buying centres and processing
plants in the region is an opportunity for the farmers to tap into it. Though soya is not
commonly eaten, if farmers allocate their land appropriately to grow it commercially,
this could be one of their main sources of revenue in the near future.
Other high value crops: The existence of Shares Ltd. in the Northern region may be
considered as an opportunity for farmers to get into the production of high value crops
such as chillies and Cardamom since they may be guaranteed of some support in
terms of agronomic skills and required agro-inputs.
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
15
2.2.5 Potential risks to Food Security when farming is commercialised
Indeed, commercialisation of farming is viewed as one of the means through which
peasant farmers can improve their livelihoods. However, as peasant farmers begin to
commercialise their farming, they expose themselves more to the risk of becoming
food insecure mainly due to the following concerns:
 Limited access to land: Since most of the peasant farmers operate on less
than 5 acres of land, the apportioning of land to both cash and food crops may
be a challenge. This situation is exacerbated by the rudimentary means of
production used by such farmers which implies low productivity. As a result, if
such farmers are exposed to markets, there is a danger of them selling all they
produce and not being able to reserve something to cater for their food
requirements. More often, their food needs are quite enormous considering
their land holdings, such that they are unable to produce a marketable surplus.
 Limited processing and storage capacity: Majority of the farming
households have very limited capacity to process and store for longer periods
the commodities they produce. The tendency is to immediately sell off all they
produce immediately after harvest. This practice causes serious risks to the
food security status of many households.
 Poor saving culture: Despite the limited capacity to process and store what is
produced, most households are not able to save some of the proceeds they
obtain when they immediately sell what they produce. As a result, the common
practice is to spend all the proceeds in the few weeks after harvest then suffer
for until the next harvest.
 Poor access to savings and credit services: The poor savings culture is
worsened by absence of savings or credit institutions which would encourage
farmers to save part of the proceeds they obtain from selling their produce. As
farming gets commercialised, it should be complemented with business support
services (e.g. credit and savings) to enable farmers to save part of their
proceeds or be able to access some credit in seasons of resource scarcity.
 Food crop versus cash crop syndrome: There has always been a debate on
whether food security is best attained when farmers are able to have enough
cash to purchase food or whether they have enough food in their gardens or
cribs to cater for their food requirements. Which ever the argument, the
balance between food crops and cash crops remains a challenge considering
that some of the crops considered for commercialisation may not be edible.
2.2.6 An analysis of potential risk to food security when farmers commercialise
As farmers move from subsistence to commercialised farming, there could be a risk of
them becoming food insecure. Among the factors that ought to be considered in this
transformation to safeguard against food insecurity include the following:
 The capacity to produce reasonable amount of food to cater for the basic food
requirements of the households and retain some surplus for sale. This capacity
is determined by the land available, the labour available and productivity of the
land.
 The capacity to process and store the surplus production so that it can be
consumed or sold at a future date
 Certainty of a market especially for crops that cannot be consumed by the
household in case they are not sold. If farmers allocate a greater portion of
their land to produce a cash crop they cannot sell, this may lead to food
insecurity.
 The ability of the household to meet its cash needs throughout the year.
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
16
Considering the Lango and Acholi sub-regions, the following analysis can be made of
the households regarding the potential risk to food security when farming is
commercialised.
Table 3: Risk analysis of food insecurity versus commercialisation in Lango
and Acholi subregions
Factor
Land available to
household for agriculture
Access to agro-inputs
Ability to produce
marketable surplus
Ability to process & store
marketable surplus
Certainty of market
Ability of household to
meet cash requirements
throughout the year
Prevalent capacity
(low-medium-high)
high
Food insecurity risk
(low-medium-high)
low
low
medium
high
medium
low
high
medium
low
medium
high
2.2.7 Characteristics underlying Food Insecurity in Northern Uganda
In general, the following is a summary of the characteristics underlying food insecurity
in Northern Uganda. The households which are food insecure are mainly those which
have

Limited access to land

Lack of tools and implements

Limited access to savings and credit services

Limited capacity to process and store what they produce

Low productivity characterised by low input usage hence unable to produce
a marketable surplus

Gender related biases in terms of access and control of resource

Poor attitudes (e.g. Dependence syndrome, scepticism about engaging in
agriculture as compared to other sectors )

Large families headed by vulnerable persons (orphans, aged,)

Limited access to social services and lack of social support networks

Low levels of literacy
2.2.8 Stakeholder involvement in food security and commercialisation of farming
Several NGOs, CBOs and development agencies have been very supportive to ensure
food security in Northern Uganda and to enhance the process of transforming farming
from subsistence to commercialisation. Table 3 shows a summary of organisations and
their involvement in food security and commercialisation of farming in Lango and
Acholi sub-regions.
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
17
Table 4: Organisations working on Food security and Commercialisation of
farming in Acholi & Lango sub regions
Organization
ZOA
Type of involvement / Intervention
-Vouchers for Work (seed & tools)
- Agronomic skills improvement
-Agricultural productivity improvement
-Farmer Field School (FFS)
-Support to emerging commercial farmers
-Support in marketing and market information collection
-Enhancing economic drivers
-Farmer resource centre
ICCO
Works through partners on the following:
-Setting up and training marketing committees
(DETREC, AFSRT, NECPA)
-Food Security and legal aid addressing land rights
issues. (FAPAD)
-Value addition & business plan development (CGRID)
-Improved breeds of goats and seed production (ICES)
-chili production, setting up community bulking centres
and seed multiplication for banana, gnuts coffee,
(NECPA)
- Nutrition education and interventions (NECPA, CGRID,
FAPAD, DETREC, ICES and CGRID
- small scale irrigation (NECPA
- VSLA, access to MFO (all partners), revolving funds
(DETREC and ICES)
- DRR (jointly by all 6 partners)
- agronomic skills improvement through farmer field
schools (all)
OXFAM GB
-productivity assessment
-Support to Farmer institutions
-Livelihoods (agro inputs, extension services)
-Gender equality
VECO EA
-Increasing productivity (Animal traction, agro-inputs)
-Study tours, demonstrations
-training on post harvest handling
-Collective marketing and value chain development
-Gender mainstreaming
BD (Broederlijk Works through partners: FAPAD, AFSRT, ICES, Caritas –
Delen)
Lira, PASUD on
-Food security,
-market oriented farming,
-strengthening farmer groups
CESVI
-Agro input distribution
-Post harvest handling and value addition
-Collective marketing
-VSLA
-FFS
Welthungerhilfe - Productivity enhancement
-Animal traction (Ox-ploughs & Oxen)
- Feeder road rehabilitation (Cash for work)
-Storage capacity improvement
-Agro-processing support
- Collective marketing
Geographical area of
operation
Acholi: Agago, Pader
Lango sub-region
Acholi: Kitgum, Lamwo
Lango: Lira
Lango
Acholi: Agago,
Lango: Otuke, Lira
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
18
FAO
World Food
Program (WFP)
Lutheran World
Federation
(LWF)
CONCERN
CARITAS
Food for the
Hungry (FH)
ACTED
ACF
Support through several partners on
- Farmer Field Schools
- Seed multiplication
-Veterinary service support
-Early Warning Systems development
-Agro-input voucher system
-Animal traction
-Local food purchase through P4P
- Construction of food stores
-Environment sustainability (capacity building in tree
nurseries)
Lango and Acholi
-Access to markets
-Roads rehabilitation
-Cash for work
-improve food production by promoting sustainable
agricultural practices
-Infrastructure rehabilitation through cash for work
Lango and Acholi
-FFS for agricultural skills improvement
-VSLA and SACCO support
-Rural infrastructure rehabilitation using cash/voucher
for work
-micro credit
Lango and Acholi
Mukwano
Industries Ltd
Lango and Acholi
Lango and Acholi
Lango sub-region
Lango and Acholi
Lango and Acholi
-Purchase and agro-processing of Soya, Sunflower,
Simsim
-Extension service
-Provision of quality seed
Mount Meru Ltd -Purchase and agro-processing of Soya, Sunflower,
gnuts,
Dunavant
-Purchasing of cotton
-Supply of cotton seed and agro-chemicals
-Support to cotton production (credit)
Olam Ltd
-Purchase of produce from farmers
Lango and Acholi
Shares Ltd
-Purchase of produce from farmers
Lango and Acholi
NAADS
-Extension service provision to farmers
- Agro-input provision
-infrastructure rehabilitation
-agro-input provision
-Agricultural Research on pests & disease control
-Soil water management
Lango and Acholi
NUSAF
NARO
3.
Lango and Acholi
Lango and Acholi
Lango and Acholi
Lango and Acholi
Lango and Acholi
Conclusions
As the formerly displaced persons return to their settlements, food security has been
the main focus for most development partners and the government of Uganda. The
government has, for the past two decades, implemented massive programs aimed at
improving food security and commercialisation of farming (Poverty Eradication Action
Plan – PEAP, Plan for Modernisation of Agriculture – PMA, Prosperity for All – PFA)
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
19
However, though the need to commercialise farming is crucial in order to improve
livelihoods sustainably, there remains the challenge to balance food security and
commercialisation amidst several challenges which include erratic climate, low
productivity, inadequate infrastructure, absence of supportive business development
support services, low processing capacity and the attitudes of the people.
As more emphasis is being placed on improving productivity and commercialisation of
farming to lead to higher incomes for households, caution should be taken to ensure
that farmers are safeguarded from become food insecure. Interventions aimed at
increasing access to land, value addition and storage capacity of households, access to
credit to meet immediate cash requirements especially in the harvest periods and
mechanism to encourage savings should be promoted.
Nonetheless, in order to commercialise farming, there are several opportunities that
should be exploited. These include the willingness of the private sector to step up their
activities in Northern Uganda especially in regards to produce buying, processing and
storage. Furthermore the special attention being accorded this region by both the
government and the development partners should be taken as an opportunity to
enhance the commercialisation process. Supportive policies and funding should be
directed to aspects that shall enhance this process (e.g. rural infrastructure
development, business support services and extension services).
This study has come up with a list of commodities that may be considered by
households in Lango and Acholi as they seek to commercialise farming. These include
simsim, maize, cotton, sunflower, groundnuts, fruits (mango, oranges) and some high
value horticultural crops (i.e. chillies, cardamom).
An analysis of the potential risk of households becoming food insecure as they
commercialise farming has been made basing on several factors. These include the
capacity of households to produce reasonable amounts of food so as to retain some
surplus for sale, the land and labour available to a household, the capacity to process
and store the surplus production, the certainty of markets and the households’ ability
to meet their cash requirements throughout the year.
This study has compiled a list of stakeholders who are concerned with food security
and commercialisation of farming in Lango and Acholi sub regions. Their interventions
have been highlighted.
4. Recommendations
In order to transform agriculture from subsistence to commercial without
compromising the food security status of households in Lango and Acholi sub regions,
the following recommendations can be made in view of the findings of this desk study.
They include the following:

The different stakeholders should interact more closely on a regular basis to
harmonise their interventions in order to be more systematic in their work.
Opportunities to leverage resources may be realised through such interactions.
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
20




Initiatives such as Agri-ProFocus (APF)8: http://apf-uganda.ning.com/ should
be emphasized for all stakeholders working on food security and
commercialisation issues.
Some of the challenges facing the commercialisation process require lobbying
for government action. It may be in the interest of the various actors to pool
resources to lobby for such action (e.g. increased investment in rural
infrastructure)
Since each of the organisations or agencies working in this region has acquired
some experience and knowledge on what seems to work and what does not, it
may be important to share these experiences amongst each other in order to
improve their efficiencies.
NGOs working together with the government extension service (NAADS) should
guide farmers on which crops to concentrate on as per the list compiled in this
report. This should be done in consideration of the weather, soils, infrastructure
status and business development support services available. In order to avert
the risk of food insecurity, a balance has to be made between the “cash crop”
and “food crop” enterprises a household can undertake.
8
APF is a partnership was founded in March 2005 and acts as a platform to enhance support to
producer organisations in developing countries. Its diverse membership creates space for
various different views and perspectives for joint learning and contributes to increased synergies
between member organisation's programmes.
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
21
References
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Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
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Annex 1: List of persons contacted during this study
Person
Organisation
Contact
Astrid Mastenbroek (Ms)
ZOA
Advisoragric@zoa.ug
Francis Kyobe
OXFAM GB
fkyobe@oxfam.org.uk
Immaculate Sekitto (Ms)
VECO EA
isekitto@hotmail.com
Wilma Rozenga (Ms)
ICCO
Wilma.rozenga@icco.nl
Dennis Okidi Ocoka
Welthungerhilfe
okididennis@yahoo.com
Anthony Otude
Welthungerhilfe
otudejanthn@yahoo.com
David Ojara
CESVI - Agago
cesvikalongo@hotmail.com
Maxwell Elinga
CESVI - Abim
maxwellelinga3@gmail.com
Geoffrey Acana
WFP - Abim
Geoffrey.acana@wfp.org
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
23
Annex 2: Map of Uganda livelihoods zones
Desk study on Food Security in Lango & Acholi sub-regions of Northern Uganda
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