PDM agriculture investment yielding results despite climate change concerns: Experts.

Uganda’s Parish Development Model (PDM) programme targets 39 per cent of households which are still in subsistence farming, to enable them to increase agricultural productivity and value addition through access to a revolving fund at affordable rates.

The PDM is designed as a Building on earlier programs such as Entandikwa, NAADS, and Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), PDM was designed to empower households directly.

Experts state the Parish Development Model (PDM) has helped farmers by providing access to financial services, inputs, and extension services, enabling them to move from subsistence to monetary farming and increasing production, productivity, and income. T

The PDM's focus on value addition, agro-processing, and developing an integrated value chain aims to create wealth, employment, and improve livelihoods at the parish level in Uganda

The Deputy Secretary to the Treasury Mr. Patrick Ocailap, said that there has been a remarkable improvement on the productivity of coffee, pigs, and poultry, among other farming activities

 “Production of coffee, pigs, and poultry is rising, but still below optimal levels,” he said

He said that though the country is investing in agricultural research, there is a need to address the climate change challenge to minimize the effects to farming activities.

“We’re investing in agricultural research, irrigation, and quality standards. Over three million households have received UGX 1 million each, and we’re continuing. Climate change is a concern, but we’re addressing it through drought-resistant seeds and better soil management,” he said

Grace Faith Nambuya a researcher said that the Parish Development Model has had a measurable impact on the socio-economic life of the local, but says that its success has been moderate rather than transformative.

“While household incomes have improved for some, significant poverty reduction remains a challenge. The program has fostered a higher level of community participation in local governance, although inclusivity issues persist” she said  

The PDM is implemented under seven (7) pillars and the primary pillar is the “Agriculture Value Chain Development (Production, Storage, Processing, and Marketing)”. The other pillars include: Infrastructure and Economic Services; Financial Inclusion; Social Services; Community Mobilization and Mind-set Change; Parish Development Management Information System; and Governance and Administration.

In the FY 2022/2023, Parliament appropriated UGX.1.142 trillion for the PDM Programme, of which UGX.1.059 trillion was for the Parish Revolving Fund (PRF) to finance 10,594 PDM SACCOs in 176 Local Governments (LGs) and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).