Uganda to host delegates from 40 countries for 10th Anniversary of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation

November 8, 2019

Kampala, 8th November 2019. Having been recognized as the leading African country in project implementation, Uganda has been selected to host delegates from over 40 countries for the 10^th Anniversary of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Program and Triangular Cooperation and the 2019 FOCAC Africa-China Poverty Reduction and Development Conference.

These events will take place in Kampala from the 25^th to the 29^th of November 2019 under the theme “Inspiration, Inclusion, and Innovation’ and will highlight pathways forward to advance the South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.

**Above**: Delegates from the People’s Republic of China with representatives of Top Management of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries led by Mr. Pius Wakabi Kasajja the Permanent Secretary, Ms. Ethel Kamba the Under Secretary, Dr. Juliet Sentumbwe the Director for Animal Resources, Mr. Stephen Byantware the Commissioner for Crop Protection and Dr. James Tumwiine the China SSC Project Coordinator.

Following the 10^th FAO-China SSC anniversary, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries in collaboration with the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development (LGOP) of the People’s Republic of China, and the International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC) will host the 2019 FOCAC Africa-China Poverty Reduction and Development Conference under the theme “Partnership for Transformation in Africa” from the 27^th to the 29^th November 2019.

The two functions to be held back to back from 25^th– 29^th November 2019 in the same venue will attract over 200 international delegates from over 40 countries, 20 Honorable Ministers of Agriculture from the various SSC participating countries and close to 150 national participants.

Notes for editors

About the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF)

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries is a Ministry in the Government of Uganda charged with creating an enabling environment in the Agricultural Sector.

The Ministry formulates, reviews and implement national policies, plans, strategies, regulations and standards and enforce laws, regulations and standards along the value chain of crops, livestock and fisheries.

Vision: A competitive, profitable and sustainable agricultural sector.

Mission: To transform subsistence farming to commercial agriculture.

Strategic Objectives

To initiate the formulation and review of the policy and legal framework for the sector
To establish and implement systems for service provision in the sector
To strengthen and implement strategies, regulatory framework, standards, institutional structures and infrastructure for quality assurance and increased quantities of agricultural products to access and sustain local, regional and export markets
To design and implement sustainable capacity building programmes for stakeholders in the agricultural sector through training, re-tooling, infrastructure, provision of logistics and ICT
To develop strategies for sustainable food security
To develop appropriate agricultural technologies for improved agricultural production, productivity and value addition through research
To develop effective collaborative mechanisms with affiliated institutions and
To take lead and establish a system and institutional framework for agricultural data collection, analyses, storage and dissemination to stakeholders including Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) is made up of four Directorates including the Directorate of Crop Resources, Directorate of Animal Resources, Directorate of Agricultural Extension Services and the Directorate of Fisheries Resources each with Departments, Divisions and Partnership Projects.

The Departments of the Ministry which do not fall directly in the above include the Department of Agricultural Planning and Development, the Human Resource Department, the Department of Finance and Administration and the Department of Agricultural Infrastructure, Mechanisation and Water for Agricultural Production.

The Ministry is also made up of seven Agencies including the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), Cotton Development Organisation (CDO), Dairy Development Authority (DDA), Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) and Coordinating Office for the Control of Trypanosomiasis in Uganda (COCTU) and the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Databank (NAGRC&DB).

Uganda and the South-South Cooperation

China has made significant contributions to Uganda’s Agricultural sector development including provision of project aid to Uganda in form of interest-free loans and grants. Notable ones include the Kibimba and Doho rice schemes, Wakawaka Fish landing site, Kajjansi Aquaculture Training Centre, Hydropower Stations and Road Construction. Trade has included leather, coffee, fish and food products among others.

The Government of the Republic of Uganda also signed a Tripartite Agreement between the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Government of the Peoples Republic of China on 8^th December 2011. The project entitled “Technical Assistance Under the South-South Cooperation (SSC) with the People’s Republic of China in Support of the Development Strategy and Investment Plan 2010/11-2015/16 in the Republic of Uganda”: started officially in October 2012 and ended in October 2014.

Objectives

To increase production and productivity in Horticulture, Cereals, Aquaculture, Livestock and relevant Cross-cutting issues such as agribusiness, value addition, renewable energy and agro-machinery
To build the capacity of technical agricultural staff and farmers to adopt and promote the improved Chinese technologies.
To consolidate and promote trade and investment linkages established in SSC phase 1.