Lives uplifted as African Farmer Associations links African farmers to extension services and Markets.

Working with smallholder farmers and national agriculture extension in African countries, The  African Farmers Associations have over the years continued to develop resilient and sustainable food systems that improve incomes, nutrition, food for the local population.

The associations have achieved various milestones in improving skills of extension agents and farmers. It has also promoted advancements in regenerative, nutrition sensitive and market oriented agriculture.

Farmers have highlighted the contributions they and other partners have done towards the agriculture value chain.

They called upon enhanced support to participation if women, youth and people with disability in the agriculture sector.

According to the The Country Director, SAA, David Wozemba while commending the contributions of the extension program said that certain segments of the population including youth women and people with disability need to be supported to access knowledge to adopt to the requirements in agriculture to improve production and productivity.

“Extension services ensures adoption of technologies and knowledge that can increase production and productivity in the agriculture sector. Extension week is helps us pass messages of our contributions to the extension program to deliver what is required to the farmer” he said

He said that the association in over 15 years have enhanced the capacity of extension workers in different pillars including community based facilitators, traders, local government extension team among others.

The Lead, Market Oriented Agriculture SAA, Okiror Ande said they have upgraded famers from subsistence to commercial producers with increased value and production per unit area through community based One Stop Centre Associations (OSCAS) who have been supported to access technologies like tractors.

“Through OSCAS farmers we support them to access inputs at every value chain, they bulk their produce for export. They access affordable loans with low interest rates.

He said that the association has active OSCAS in over 71 districts including Bugiri, Kamuli, Tororo, Apak, Kole, Iganga, Lira, Luwerro among others.

The Sesakawa Africa Association is a non-profit organization working with small holder farmers in Africa and national agriculture extension services in Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mali while supporting farmers through the agriculture value chain.

said that there is a need to develop organic food systems that will benefit African farmers and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises involved in organic product trading.

Chariton Namuwoza  President, the Board of Directors of the African Organic Network (AfrONet) said this can be achieved by linking research to production, reducing the cost of certification, and harnessing the existing and emerging markets of organic products. 

“The time to push for participatory certification that uses simple systems that conform to organic standards and reduce the high cost through participatory guarantees including farmers, traders, leaders, and others. There is a huge potential to grow organic production through merging traders, markets in Uganda and the region” he said

The President added that to support the organic industry to take off stage in Uganda, the organic agricultural bill needs to be fully enacted and implemented to enhance the organic food secure system that will promote home-based organic farm inputs for crops, livestock, and fish among others.

“Uganda with the highest certified organic farmers is home to organic inputs for fish, crops, and livestock on small- and large-scale production. We are working on an organic agricultural bill to support the industry. Farmers need intensive farming methods with local and affordable inputs to increase their yield” he said