EZYAGRIC: WHAT ALL FARMERS SHOULD EMBRACE TO ADDRESS CHALLENGES IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR?

 BY SAMUEL NABWIISO

 The Agricultural sector is considered the Economic back bone of Uganda, contributing about 25% of the Country's Gross Domestic Product and 70% employment of the Country's population.

 The major players in the sector according to Information from Bank of Uganda are the smallholder farmers with women taking majority share, whilst the youth participate the least despite them contributing the largest percentage to the country’s population.

 The justification for their negative attitudes towards the Agriculture Sector has been attributed to the many challenges being faced in the sector such as access to credits from financial Institutions, fake Agro-inputs on the market, inadequate access to Agricultural Extension services, alongside limited market access for their produce both Locally, Regionally and Internationally among others.

 Resultantly, this has compelled the Private sector to wake up and come up with cheap and yet convenient solutions to help avert the above challenges and make agriculture lucrative through digitization.

 Uganda’s mobile phone penetration has seen a steep growth year on year currently sitting at 6.6 million users and projected to more than double in the next decade.

 Information and Technology companies such as EZYAGRIChavedeveloped an IT Farmers App that can support farmers to overcome such challenges and those who have used the application can attest to how it has been a major game changer.

 Mr.Kalanzi Patrick from Zirobwe, Luwero District in Ugandasays “The App has helped him gain access to genuine and high-quality inputs delivered in a timely manner at a click of a button, an element that has since increased his yield.

Kalanzi Patrick from Zirobwe  who has tested the App saay the technology has heleped hi to access Agri -inputs

The EzyAgric Appis an end-to-end farming solution that supports farmers to improve their livelihoods through simplified farmer planning, supporting farmers to access to genuine Agro -inputs, e-extension services, alongside other benefits such as farmer linkage to market of their produce and also access to credits from financial institutions such as banks and micro finance.

 According to Matilda Babuleka the Chief Product Marketing Officer at EzyAgric the App was developed to make Agricultural sector more lucrative to all Ugandans because it creates a conducive Environment to all players in the Sector which enhances productivity and revenue earnings to all players from the farmers to the Agro-Business communities.

How to get the App?

 The applicationis available on the Google play store where it can be downloaded for those farmers with smart phone's, the App takes a Small space of about 25Mb.

 To ensure that no farmer is left out, EZYAGRIC is also working with the community Agents who have been trained to use the App and support them onboard.

 How to use the EzyAgric App?

1.    Download the EzyAgricApp from Google play store and install on your phone.

 

    Register for an account using your mobile phone number which will be validated and confirmed.

 

3.    Browse the list of the services of your choice for example Agro-inputs like seeds, fertilizers and farming tools or Agriculture credit in the App.

 

4.    Once the preferred service has been made,the user proceeds to check out and payment is initiated.

5.     

6.   Post order confirmation, user proceeds to effect the payment which is also digital, through mobile money.

 

With such new innovations Information and Communication technology can make farming very cheap, more productive hence improving the livelihoods of Sector players in Agriculture.

 

Download Now from google play store

 

 

 

Disabled,s demands conducive Environment to fully participate in the general National Elections

 BY SAMUEL NABWIISO

People's with Disabilities in Uganda are calling upon the Electoral Commission (EC)to create conducive Environment that will enable them to effectively participate in the general coming national Elections Exercise.

 Addressing the media in Kampala the Executive Director of the National Union of Disabled Persons Uganda(NUDIPU) Ngirabakunzi Edson said Disabled people's like their counter parts have right to participate in the  Country's politics through voting their leaders at all levels but the Environment on many occasions has not been favoring them thus their rights being disfranchised.

 "NUDIPU there for we call the EC to ensure that all the polling centers are accessible  and within reasonable distance to enable persons with Disabilities fully and effectively participate in the Electoral process “He said.

 Apart from making the centers to be accessible to the disabled persons, NUDIPU also is challenging the Electoral body to commence translating all the Electoral material information into the languages which can be easily understood by the  disabled people's especially the blind ones.

The CEO on Right Stressing point during the recent Press conference 

 "The Blind people's should be supported by the EC by coming up with the information in broil format this will help them to make better decisions making when choosing their leaders of their choice”. He added

 When asked if they have engaged the EC on the above Queries,Ngirabakunzi told the East African Business Week that NUDIPU has had many forums with EC on such issues but the government agency had kept silent on the matter yet the Country has great number of People's with Disabilities and of which great number of them are  eligible voters

 According to Martin Ssennoga the program Manager at NUDIPU,Uganda has a population of about 6 million people with Disabilities of which 4 million of them are eligible voters but Majority have not effectively participated in national voting exercise because of the poor Environment that does not favours them to enjoy their political rights.

 When this Website tried to get comments from the EC Spokesperson Paul Bukenya his Known phone Number was not available to comment on the demands raised by NUDIPU

 Uganda will be conducting a National general Elections where the citizens will be voting the head of state, Parliamentary Legislator's, alongside country wide local government leaders , Special Interest groups representatives according to the Election road map the exercise will commence from 14/January towards the end of march 2021.

 

Vote only Leaders with Biodiversity conservation face

BY SAMUEL NABWIISO

As Ugandan prepare to elect new leaders comes to 2021 we should be wise to elect only leaders who have Biodiversity Conservationists face.

The current regime of leaders has been disaster to the Country's Biodiversity, some have been bribed by the so called Investors such that they can set up investments in protected lands such as wetlands, the good case is the Sugar cane growing in Most parts of Busoga region this has not only destroyed the Environment but also has escalated the level of poverty and Environmental related disaster s such floods.

Other kind of Corruption has been manifested in the giving away of the Central forest reserve's to Investors scenario that has fueled Environmental Refugees in the country. The current regime leaders starting from the top to local governments failed to ensure that the ordinary person gets access to cheap source of  energy  when you look at the cost of Electricity in the country power is still expensive despite the fact that the country has invested a lot of money in the Construction of both min and large power dams.

 

 The high cost of power in the country has forced the tax payers to continue using bio-masses which is not environmentally friendly  majority of the citizens ends up cutting down trees for charcoal which is considered as the Major source of energy in most urban towns in the Country and this comes with big impacts especilly on the health of the people.

Over depending on biomass's as source of Energy also has health implications because it exposes the tax payers to respiratory related diseases this greatly affects the children and their mothers. Thus having leaders that have the face of Environmental conservation will help us to protect our Country's Biodiversity,through advocating for policies that are Environmentally friendly.

Samuel Nabwiiso

 Protecting our Environment has both social and Economic assets for our Our country because it helps in the mitigation of climate change, reduces the incidences of flooding which has claimed lives of thousand Ugandans especially in the mountainous regions that's to say Bugisu and Mountainous regions of  Rwenzori regions respectively.

 

 The economic impacts of these floods has been on two aspects, on the Government side and social impacts , on the government , government has spent a lot of money in the process of dislocating the Environmental refuges and also the loss of assets by the victims especially their crops and Animals that on most occasion have been destroyed and killed because of the floods.

 On the aspects of social impacts the destruction of the biodiversity has led to the separation of communities the good example are the victims of the Bududa floods incidences ,some of the victims we're forced to go to Kenya others are in Bunyoro region (Kiryandongo) where the Government settled them but this has socially  impacted  those communities.

Bududa Victims being relocated after the mudslide 

 It's on that back ground that voters, vote only leaders that Will Ensure that our Environment is used in sustainable manners. The current regime whose terms in office which is ending in  the early 2021 have done less when it comes to sensitizing the local communities to protect Nature, the civil Society's organization tried to play their role through carrying out Advocacy but this has not yielded big achievement because of the limited participation of  both local government leaders and those at the Top. 

Nabwiiso Samuel is an Environment Journalist

 He can be reached on 0752808923 Email. nabwiisoug@gmail.com

Streamline Timber Trade to protect Local timber market

 

B y SAMUEL NABWIISO

 Biodiversity Conservationists are appealing to the Government of Uganda to put up strong mechanisms that can help in the fight against the Importation of Illegal Timbers into the Country.

 They urgues that the Importation of Illegal Timbers from the Neighboring countries such as Democratic Republic of Congo and Southern Sudan is distorting the market for locally produced timber and its wood product's

 David Duli the country Director World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) told Environment News Uganda that many forest farmers are not benefitting from their investment because of the market which is flooded with Illegal imported Timbers.

 "Certified Timbers on the market carries premium price which is an asset to the farmers but when the market is flooded with Illegal imported Timbers it lowers the local market price thus discouraging the local people to venture into tree farming “He told ENU.

 According to Duli, Uganda imports  approximately 9000 cubic metrics of high value mahogany and other saw Timbers from DRC and once such Timbers enters Uganda is considered legal this makes  it difficult to regulate the trading of timber into the country.

David Duli of WWF stressing point during the media briefing recently on his Right  Cissy Kagaba of ACCU

 The problem of Illegal entry of Timbers from DRC and Southern Sudan is attributed to weak legal policies in the country that cannot stream lime timber trade , According to the recent study on the gap analysis of the Hindrances to effective Trade in Forest product's in Uganda conducted by WWF and Anti Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU) it was found that the National Forrest and Tree Planting Act of 2003 it mainly focus on Planting, growing and protection of trees  only despite  having  provisions on regulation of harvesting and movement of Forest product's.

 "To our concern the provisions  there in concerning the trade of Forest product's have not been operationalzed as CSO we are appealing to government to ensure that the provisions is implemented failure to do so Will promote Corruption in the timber industry" Cissy Kagaba the Executive Director of ACCU told the media during the release of the report.

 Why is Illegal logging of trees are bad?,Uganda,s forest  cover is currently estimated at 12.4% of it's total land area down from the 24% in 1990, because of deforestation and forest degradation. The Deforestation has been partly attributed to Illegal logging. Unsustainable harvesting and Illegal and uncertified wood product's on the market

 According to other studies conducted by the ministry of water and Environment (2016) indicated that the combined effect of high Deforestation of about 92,000 hectares and high consumption estimated at 360,000 cubic metres per year of wood which is equivalent to 1,440,000 cubic meters of round saw logs  at current sawing efficiency of 25% is resulting in an accelerated imbalance between national demand and supply  of Forest wood based product's

 Another study conducted in2014 indicated that over 80% of the timber traded in the market was Illegal causing an estimated annual financial loss of about Sh 23bn through until paid taxes.

 

 

 

Scientists Developed Drought Resistant Rice

BY SAMUEL NABWIISO

Rice is a staple for more than 3.5 billion people, including most of the world’s poor. But it can be a problematic crop to farm. It requires massive amounts of water and the paddies in which it grows emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

To tackle such issues, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been working with the Shanghai Agrobiological Gene Center to develop strains of rice that are drought resistant and don’t need to be planted in paddies. The research, say, experts, could help bolster food security at a time when COVID-19 is threatening to propel more people into hunger.

The study, which runs from 2017 to 2021, is funded by the Government of China and falls under the China-Africa South-South Cooperation arrangement.

“China has lots of experience growing rice and this collaboration with China is a first,” says UNEP ecosystems expert Levis Kavagi, who has been closely involved with the project.

Researchers have developed and tested over 50 varieties of rice in Ghana, Kenya and Uganda. They evaluated how the grains grow at different elevations and, importantly, how they taste.

One strain, dubbed WDR 73 by scientists, proved particularly promising. During trials in Uganda, researchers found that it helped boost yields by about 30 per cent compared to locally grown varieties.

WDR 73 also doesn’t need to be planted in a flooded paddy. That’s important for several reasons.

Transporting seedlings into flooded fields is a laborious process. Paddies are breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Water shortages, sparked by climate change, are expected to make filling paddies a challenge in many countries. And paddies themselves vent massive amounts of methane –  up to 20 per cent of human-related emissions of the greenhouse gas, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.  

Growing rice on relatively dry land also reduces the ever-growing quest to open up wetlands, havens for birds and other animals, to farming.

“Usually the most suitable land for growing rice also tends to be next to, or in, wetlands or flood plains,” says Kavagi. “Expanding agricultural land involves draining the wetlands. This leads to loss of biodiversity, and reduced water purification and climate regulation services provided by wetlands.”

The ultimate goal of the project is to get a national certification of WDR 73, allowing it to be broadly disseminated to farmers. The project is part of a larger effort by China, African countries and UNEP to develop better rice varieties, improve livelihoods and bolster food security.

"The project shows that with new rice varieties it is possible to achieve the multiple objectives of food security, biodiversity and nature conservation – and fight against climate change,” says Kavagi.

Technical details of rice trials in Ghana, Kenya and Uganda

In Kenya, trials were conducted over three growing seasons in Mwea (central Kenya), Busia (western), and Mtwapa (coastal area). Rice variety WDR 73 performed well compared with the local Basmati varieties. The growth duration varied from 125 days in Mtwapa, to 150 days in Mwea and Busia, where the altitude is over 1,000m. Average grain yield was 5.1 to 9.0 tonnes per hectare. Plant height was 100-110 cm, which shows that this variety is tolerant to rice blast disease and displays good drought-resistant qualities compared to Basmati varieties.

In Uganda, WDR73 cultivation experiments were conducted in Lukaya, Luweero and Arua. In well-managed farms, grain yield increased from 4.35 to more than 6.0 tons per hectare. In Arua, in 2019 the rain-fed crop was direct sowed from 25-30 August and harvested from 30 November to 5 December. The growth duration was 90-95 days and yielded 4.35 tonnes per hectare. Direct seeded WDR 73 grain yield in Luweero in 2019 varied from 6 tonnes per hectare in rain-fed conditions to 8 tonnes per hectare in irrigated paddy fields.

In Bolgatanga, a drought-prone area in northern Ghana, WDR 73 growth duration was 105 days and plant height 110-120 cm, while the grain yield was 6.0 tonnes per hectare.

 

 

Rwanda government, scientists introduce disease-resistant cassava varieties to farmers

 BY SAMUEL NABWIISO

Rwandan farmers lack improved cassava varieties resistant to the main cassava diseases; Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) and Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD). The diseases have affected cassava productivity, threatening the income and food security in the country.

 “There are two main diseases that attack cassava in Rwanda and the region, CMD and CBSD. The latter poses a serious threat because once cassava is infected with CBSD, root tubers spoil, leaving almost nothing to be consumed by farmers,” said Dr Charles Bucagu, Deputy Director General of Agriculture, Research and Technology Transfer at the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resource Development Board (RAB).

The Government of Rwanda has been working with partners to find clean, safe, and productive cassava seeds.  

 

In partnership with RAB, IITA has been implementing a four-year project since 2017, which introduced new cassava varieties and seed quality management techniques to fight CBSD and CMD.

The CBSD Project implemented various approaches to curb the diseases. The project introduced up to 17 elite clones, with high dual tolerance to CBSD and CMD, each clone with about 200 tissue culture plantlets. Moreover, over 40,841 true cassava seeds were introduced.

“The project introduced both elite clones and biological seed that have directly and positively impacted the genetic diversity for CBSD/CMD dual resistance now and future breeding efforts in Rwanda. Several CBSD/CMD resistant and high-yielding varieties that carry good consumer preference and other end-use traits have been identified for Rwanda,” said Dr Silver Tumwegamire, CBSD Control Project Leader.  

The project also considered local varieties. Thirty selected accessions were sent to Kenyan Plant Health Inspectorate Services for virus cleaning, 19 were returned for integration into the seed system. Ten have already been used together with the new introduced elite clones to generate new breeding populations. Up to 11,261 biological seeds have equally been produced.

IITA has introduced and built the capacity for Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics at Rubona station in efforts to strengthen quality seed delivery. Two screen houses and five basic seed centers were established.

“Through the project, Rwanda has made gains in terms of resistant elite clones and biological seed, all of which will enable us to identify high yielding cassava seed and resistant varieties. It has also enabled us to make efforts to streamline the cassava seed value chain in Rwanda. Thanks to this project, we now have cassava seed standards to ensure seed quality control for cassava in Rwanda,” said Dr Athanase Nduwumuremyi, Head of the Cassava research and technology transfer program at RAB. 

Cassava is the second most grown crop and the fourth most consumed staple crop in Rwanda, 2018 official data indicate. It is among the priority crops promoted by the government to ensure food security and increased farmer income.

 

 

Uganda gets 5million Euros for Advancing Greening

 BY SAMUEL NABWIISO

The European Union (EU) represented by the European Commission in Uganda and the Government of Uganda through the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) have signed a contract today to cooperate on advancing the Greening Uganda’s Urbanization and Industrialization agenda. This project is part of the European Union’s Inclusive Green Economy Uptake Programme (GreenUP) financed under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) and will be implemented for a 36 months period with a total cost estimated of just under EUR 5mln. The MoU was signed by European Union in Uganda and Ms. Dagmar Zwebe, Country Representative of the GGGI Uganda office.

The overall objective of the GreenUp action is to contribute to the Ugandan transition toward an inclusive, green and competitive low carbon economy with the creation of decent green jobs. Within the framework of this intervention this Project has been designed to support the Government of Uganda (GOU) with their National Development Plan III (NDPIII) commitments for 2020/21-2024/25, and the long term commitments as expressed in the Uganda Green Growth Development Strategy (UGGDS) and Uganda’s Vision 2040. It will directly contribute to greener growth paths to becoming a middle-income country, through the acceleration of investments in green growth pathways

The Projects impact objective is therefore “Uganda achieves strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth”. The Uganda Vision 2040 specifically highlights industrialization and urbanization as key focal are as it envisions that 60% of Ugandans will live in urban areas by 2040 and therefore, actions of designing, servicing and attracting investments into greening secondary cities will help Uganda to benefit from the economic and social dividends that come with urbanization.

Through a multi- stakeholder process guided by the National Planning Authority (NPA) as the project coordinator the industrial zones of Gulu, Entebbe, Pakwach and Soroti have been identified to receive support from the Project in the development of their Masterplans in a green manner and the identification of potential investment projects. The Project is committed to attract investment commitments for at least 6 projects for these industrial areas to accelerate and green the industrialization process in Uganda. This process will be guided by specific guidelines setting out what a green industrial could look like.

With a similar process the cities of Arua, Gulu, Jinja and Mbarara have been identified by the stakeholders, led by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development in close coordination with the NPA, to receive similar support as the industrial zones in the development of their Masterplans and the acceleration of financing in potential (public and private) projects. For the Arua-Pakwach corridor, and for Gulu there will be a joined focus combining both elements to ensure inclusive green growth is accomplished. Overall, the aim is to set the country on a low carbon development pathway, generating green jobs, to reduce the environmental burden and the use of natural resources and to contribute substantially to increasing green investment flows into Uganda.

Increased waste collection and sorting in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA) is another element of the Project. Guided by the GKMA Waste Management Strategy 2021-2030, two waste sorting and diversion centers will be designed, and investment commitment will be sought for at least one of these sites to support the GKMA commitment of 30% recycling by 2030. Furthermore, business development support will be provided to multiple small and medium enterprises in the waste sector to strengthen their operations and be able to widen their scope and increase their waste recycling or treatment.

All stakeholders involved within this Project including -but not limited to- the Government of Uganda, the EU and GGGI and are strongly committed to support Uganda’s transition toward an inclusive, green and competitive low carbon economy, and especially the sectors as elaborated upon in the UGGDS. This includes making Uganda’s business environment more conducive to inclusive and green investments and improving the environment for investing in Uganda’s economic green transformation and the urbanization and industrialization agenda.