New tools aim to strengthen water security as climate risks mount in water-stressed African farming communities NEWS ANALYSIS | RONALD MUSOKE | When the rains fail in southern Africa, the survival of crops often depends on how much water remains in the dams. For decades, that simple question has been surprisingly …
Read More »Coffee prices rebound
Mbale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Coffee farmers in Uganda have reason to smile as the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) confirms a rebound in coffee prices after months of decline. In a media brief issued today, Minister Frank K. Tumwebaze reassured farmers and stakeholders that the coffee sector …
Read More »Nankoma youth farmers elevate from self-help project to cooperative in one year
Bugiri, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Youth farmers in Nankoma Town Council, Bugiri District, are sharing their story of transformation from a self-help project to a registered cooperative in just one year. They have grown to 290 members organised into 12 self-help groups under the umbrella of the Nankoma Youth Farmers …
Read More »Karenga, Kaabong farmers demand urgent action on wildlife invasions
Karenga, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Farmers in the districts of Karenga and Kaabong have renewed calls for government intervention to curb wildlife invasions that continue to destroy their crops and threaten livelihoods. In December 2024, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, while addressing the media at State Lodge in Morulinga Village, …
Read More »Agriculture Ministry distributes 15,000 coffee seedlings to Kitgum Farmers
Kitgum, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF) has distributed 15,000 wilt-resistant coffee seedlings to more than 60 farmers. The seedlings are expected to be planted on 33 hectares of land, in a bid to revitalise the coffee industry in the region. According …
Read More »Teso, Karamoja farmers urged to embrace modern agricultural techniques
Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Livestock farmers in the Teso and Karamoja subregions have been urged to embrace modern agricultural techniques—particularly crossbreeding indigenous animals with improved Schwall breeds—to increase resilience and productivity in the face of harsh climatic conditions. The call was made by George Egayu, an animal health …
Read More »Govt mobilizes farmers, suppliers for climate smart agriculture project
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government has begun mobilizing farmers, agro-input dealers, and other stakeholders to tap into a $350 million (approximately Shs1.3 trillion) World Bank-funded project aimed at transforming Uganda’s agriculture sector over six years. The Uganda Climate Smart Agriculture Transformation Project, launched in June 2024, targets 69 …
Read More »How innovation, skilling is helping farmers cut post-harvest losses in Acholi
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | On a calm Monday morning in Gulu City, the raucous vibration of milling machines fills the air as I step into a modest milling store in one of the bustling industrial neighborhoods of Bardege-Layibi Division. Seated at the entrance to the store filled with …
Read More »New momentum at Soroti Fruit Factory sparks optimism among farmers, leaders
Soroti, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Soroti Fruit Processing Factory is undergoing a major revival under its new management, igniting hope and excitement among local leaders and farmers in the Teso sub-region. The Iteso Paramount Chief, Emorimor Paul Sande Emolot, expressed optimism during his first official visit to the …
Read More »Districts struggle to scale up micro-scale irrigation programme as grant deadline nears
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Districts across Uganda are struggling to scale up the uptake of the micro-scale irrigation programme as the deadline for absorbing the World Bank-funded grant approaches. Implemented under the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer (UgIFT) programme, the micro-scale irrigation initiative supports farmers with up to 2.5 acres …
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