Farmers Tipped On High Productivity, Urged To Test Soils Before Planting
Farmers have been urged to test soils before planting so that they can increase crop productivity. There is concern that many farmers use traditional methods of farming and plant their crops without any research input, something which affects the production per unit.
The call to farmers has been made by experts from Sasakawa Africa, a civil society organization engaged in improving agriculture and post-harvest benefits.
Agriculture is one of the biggest contributors to Uganda’s economy with about 75% of Ugandans engaged in the sector for their livelihoods.
The majority of the participants, however, apply traditional farming methods while others lack knowledge of better agricultural practices and approaches which otherwise would lead to high returns.
In the end, some of these agricultural products cannot be allowed on the international market due to questions on standards.
Away from things like the use of technology, farmers have been advised to consider other factors like the quality of seeds, and the use of fertilizers and chemicals, among others. Pre-planting soil sampling is also among the factors that can affect productivity.
Sasakawa Africa has now embarked on improving agriculture in many parts of Uganda. The organization which operates in 71 districts across the country, puts emphasis on women and youth. These are provided machines, and start-up capital among other interventions.
They believe farmers can have a high purchasing power by producing high-quality products.
The emphasis has been on small farmers who operate on an acre of land. They are asking the government to improve agricultural extension services to the people, especially in rural areas.
Despite the abundance of and, and favourable climate, there is food insecurity in some parts of Uganda such as parts of the Karamoja region, which has led to loss of lives.
civil society activists have appealed to the government to implement the Maputo Declaration which calls for investment of at least 10% of the national budget into the agricultural sector.
