Identifying commodity-specific priority investments in selected districts of Uganda

Book excerpt: Building on the previous work by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supporting the identification of priority agricultural sectors and possible locations with high agricultural transformation potential in Uganda, this technical study provides more granular information from Ugandan farmers and district agriculture officers on which investments are needed the most to increase productivity. It identifies and ranks the areas for investments in terms of seeds/breeds, fertilizers/veterinary drugs, mechanization, irrigation, extension, research and development (R&D), roads and electrification for five commodity-district pairs (millet in Soroti, maize in Serere, cassava in Lira, goats in Kibaale and coffee in Masaka). The study found that improved seeds/breeds, extension and fertilizers were identified as critical investments across the board. Specifically, a lack of access to improved seeds/breeds, inadequate extension services and suboptimal use of fertilizer (owing to costs, lack of information, or fertilizer quality) were perceived as major constraints. Other important findings highlight a low level of mechanization throughout the value chains, poor R&D and extension linkages, and the high cost of irrigation. On other hand, access to roads and electrification were not considered as major areas needing investment. The study concludes with nine key recommendations for improving commodity-specific investments in selected locations.