Roll-out of Nucleus Farmer Model by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Under Way

October 18, 2019

Kampala, 18th October 2019. The Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries has kick-started the rollout of the nucleus farmer model in Uganda.

The model which was unveiled by Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja the Minister for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries at the 2019 Top Policy Management Retreat in Masaka is one of the Ministry’s flagship approaches to transforming the sector.

Who is a nucleus farmer?

As presented by Mr. Pius Wakabi Kasajja the Ministry Permanent Secretary, a nucleus farmer under this model is an exemplary farmer at village level, who has adopted best practices of Agriculture as promoted by the Ministry.

The nucleus farmer, who is selected by the District Agricultural Extension Officers and Local Government through the District Production and Marketing Officers, serves as the area’s link to, among others, mechanisation and irrigation services of government, agricultural financing, agricultural technologies, highly-productive crop varieties and animal breeds, agro-processing centres (which are key under Government’s focus on agro-industrialisation) and markets including local and international markets for agricultural products.

**Above**: Mr. Pius Wakabi Kasajja the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (centre) handing over vehicles and motorcycles to district teams for implementation of Ministry projects at district level. The nucleus farmer model ensures that the delivery of services to farmers is more targeted.

Above: As a way of improving agricultural mechanisation in the country the Ministry procured 12 heavy earth-moving machines, 284 tractors and implements. To ensure sustainable usage of such machinery, the Ministry has supported recruitment of 33 Senior Agricultural Engineers in 33 district Local Governments with the target of covering all districts in the country. The Ministry also procured motorcycles for all agricultural extension workers to ease mobility. The personnel recruited will continue to work with all farmers with the nucleus farmer as a focal point person.

Tackling influx of counterfeit agro-inputs

The nucleus farmer’s premises are designed to host demonstration of certified inputs and best practices of input usage.

This will help farmers around them to clearly differentiate between counterfeit and credible agro-inputs.

**Above**: Hon. Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja the Minister for Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (centre) on a tour of nucleus farmer enterprises recently.

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).

For related inquiries and accreditation, contact Solomon Kalema – Senior Communications Officer Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries. Email: Solomon.kalema@agriculture.go.ug