Uganda’s Minister of Agriculture,
Animal Industry and Fisheries, Mr Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, also the
chairperson of the ASARECA Council of Patron Ministers signs the Communique in
the presence of his counterparts from other countries. Together they committed to
increase funding dedicated for agricultural research. 
In a move to address the glaring food
insecurity several African countries are facing, Uganda and 13 other
continental states have committed to increase funding for agricultural research
in their respective countries.In a communique, the ministers of agriculture from the 14 African countries, including Uganda, pledged on behalf of their respective nations to dedicate at least one percent (1%) of their total national resource envelop to agricultural research in line with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa's (FARA) Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa (S3A) agenda.
For Uganda whose next budget
(2019/2020) is estimated at Shs39.5trillion, the fund allocation for conducting
agricultural research shouldn’t be less than Shs395billion. Should this happen,
then it will be a record budget allocation and a statement of intent from the
government.
Despite the capabilities and availability of human resource in this area, agricultural research in African countries has for decades been relegated to the periphery.
Despite the capabilities and availability of human resource in this area, agricultural research in African countries has for decades been relegated to the periphery.
Most agricultural research in Africa
are donor funded which according to the executive director of Forum forAgricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Dr Yemi Akinbamijo, has robbed of the
conscious of continental scientists and researchers, urging continental
government to take up research funding responsibilities.
And for that, the ministers of agriculture from the 14 countries in the continent, mostly drawn from Eastern, Central and Southern African, now want the casual manner in which agricultural research is treated in the continent to stop forthwith.
And for that, the ministers of agriculture from the 14 countries in the continent, mostly drawn from Eastern, Central and Southern African, now want the casual manner in which agricultural research is treated in the continent to stop forthwith.
“Aware that in Eastern, Central and
Southern Africa, the challenge of feeding a growing population is projected to
double by 2050 has to be met, that despite a degrading resource base coupled
with global climatic and economic changes, where smallholder agriculture
remains the centerpiece of our countries’ economies, that confronting this
challenge while protecting the natural resource base involves finding
innovative and sustainable ways to produce more food with less resources,” reads
the communique signed by the Ministers responsible for Agricultural Research
from 14 countries in Kampala, Uganda, on Friday last week.
Cognizant of the need to use the land
resources in ways that will ensure its health and sustainable access to future
generations, they committed to: “Conservation agriculture-based sustainable
intensification (CASI) practices, including practicing minimum tillage,
maintaining permanent soil cover and mulches.
“This
is in addition to the implementation of crop diversification practices (such as
cereal legume intercropping and rotations), as tested through the sustainable
intensification of maize-legume cropping systems in eastern and southern Africa
(SIMLESA) program and similar multidisciplinary research efforts show promise
in boosting and stabilizing productivity and safeguarding the resource base in
the face of climate change.”
Importantly perhaps, they committed to mainstreaming Conservation agriculture, institutionalisation efforts that support scaling and networking, integration into agricultural research and extension systems and fostering value chains development.
Importantly perhaps, they committed to mainstreaming Conservation agriculture, institutionalisation efforts that support scaling and networking, integration into agricultural research and extension systems and fostering value chains development.
Part
of the communiqué committed to reducing drudgery especially for women farmers
and laborers; as well as attracting youth talent into agriculture. Supporting
agribusinesses willing to invest in rural innovation and market development was
also highlighted.
Promoting collective institutions to enable farmer integration into markets, supporting the development of smallholder machinery value chains through, local-level training for entrepreneurs and supporting market innovations that enable low-cost farmer learning and experimentation was conspicuous in the communique.
Promoting collective institutions to enable farmer integration into markets, supporting the development of smallholder machinery value chains through, local-level training for entrepreneurs and supporting market innovations that enable low-cost farmer learning and experimentation was conspicuous in the communique.
Time to
walk the talk
Uganda’s Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Mr Vincent
Bamulangaki Ssempijja who is also the chairperson of the ASARECA Council of
Patron Ministers, after signing the communique said it is time research is
promoted in Africa, saying their gesture (signing the joint communique) stress
the call for research funding and promotion in all the continental states.
For
scientists and researchers involved in the agricultural sector to fulfil their
potential he said: “At least one percent of the total national budget of the
country should be geared towards agricultural research because without that it
will be difficult to overcome food insecurity threats that is already
widespread across the continent,” said Mr Ssempijja.
As for Amb. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, the
African Union commissioner for rural economy and agriculture, without research
in agriculture, the continent should forget about agricultural transformation
which helped propelled the economies of most European countries.
But before that the executive director of ASERECA, Prof Jean Jacques Mbonigaba Muhinda, said the role of research in agriculture has never been that crucial as it is today. He said the agricultural sector is evolving and without research it will be difficult to keep pace with the changes, most of which have far reaching effects on the livelihood.
And the head of Uganda’s delegation in the ASERECA Council of Patron Ministers Summit, the State Minister for Agriculture, Mr Christopher Kibanzanga, was of the view that African countries, including his own, Uganda, should invest where it reaps most and that is in agriculture.
But before that the executive director of ASERECA, Prof Jean Jacques Mbonigaba Muhinda, said the role of research in agriculture has never been that crucial as it is today. He said the agricultural sector is evolving and without research it will be difficult to keep pace with the changes, most of which have far reaching effects on the livelihood.
And the head of Uganda’s delegation in the ASERECA Council of Patron Ministers Summit, the State Minister for Agriculture, Mr Christopher Kibanzanga, was of the view that African countries, including his own, Uganda, should invest where it reaps most and that is in agriculture.
Governments that signed a joint communique in Kampala on
May 03, 2019;
- The Republic of Burundi: Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock
- Republic of the Congo: Minister of Scientific Research and Technological Innovations
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Minister of Scientific Research
- The State of Eritrea: Minister of Agriculture
- The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia: Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources
- The Republic of Kenya: Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation
- The Republic of Madagascar: Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
- The Republic of Malawi: Minister of Agriculture, Water and Irrigation Development
- Republic of Mozambique: Minister of Agriculture
- The Republic of Rwanda: Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources
- The Republic of South Sudan: Minister of Agriculture and Forestry
- The Republic of The Sudan: Minister of Science and Technology
- The United Republic of Tanzania: Minister of Agriculture
- The Republic Of Uganda: Minister Of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries
- For The African Union: Commissioner, Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission
- Observer: Dr. Martin Kropf, Director General, Cimmyt
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