The National Adaptation Plan for the Agricultural Sector (NAP-Ag)

Entebbe, 5th September 2018 The Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries worked with partners to develop a National Adaptation Plan for the Agriculture Sector to ensure that agricultural production and productivity are not affected by the adverse effects of climate change.

This National Adaptation Plan for the Agriculture Sector (NAP-Ag) contributes to the second National Development Plan (NDP II) priority of strengthening ecologically sound agricultural research and climate change resilient technologies and practices.

Additionally, the plan contributes to different government policies and planning frameworks, such as the National Climate Change Policy (2013) and the Agriculture Sector Strategic Plan (ASSP).

Over time, the Government of Uganda has been addressing climate variabilities, especially drought and floods, in dispersed actions.

The NAP-Ag consolidates different climate actions, including CSA, into a systematic and integrated suite of adaptation responses.

The overall goal of the NAP-Ag is to increase resilience of the Agricultural Sector to the impacts of climate change, through coordinated interventions that enhance sustainable agriculture, food and nutritional security, livelihood improvement and sustainable development.

The adaptation actions presented in this NAP-Ag target to boost production and productivity for all agriculture sub-sectors including crop, livestock, fisheries, forestry, land and natural resources. Ultimately, the plan is to ensure a resilient agricultural sector across all the sub-sectors through gender responsive actions guided by knowledge, evidence and information on climate change.

The Plan consolidates different climate actions, including CSA, into a systematic and integrated suite of adaptation responses.

Above: One of the farmers who are currently engaged in Apple growing in Uganda. The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry Industry and Fisheries has maintained increasing production and productivity among the sector priorities. The focus on promoting Climate Smart Agriculture and Resilience is guided by this prioritisation.

The overall goal of the Plan is to increase resilience of the Agricultural Sector to the impacts of climate change, through coordinated interventions that enhance sustainable agriculture, food and nutritional security, livelihood improvement and sustainable development.

The adaptation actions presented in this Plan target to boost production and productivity for all sub-sectors including crop, livestock, fisheries, forestry, land and natural resources.

Ultimately, the plan is to ensure a more resilient agricultural sector across all the sub-sectors through gender responsive actions guided by knowledge, evidence and information on climate change.

A copy of the Plan is downloadable below:

608 Downloads

Guidelines for Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in the Agricultural Sector Policies and Plans

In addition to the plan, the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries developed guidelines for mainstreaming climate change adaptation and mitigation in the Agricultural sector policies and plans.

These were developed with the main objective of providing practical, step-by-step guidance for all stakeholders in agriculture sector, including the MAAIF Agencies and Local governments, on how to mainstream climate change adaptation and mitigation in their planning and decision-making processes.
These guidelines are in line with the National Guidelines for Climate Change Mainstreaming
Ministry’s vision of “A competitive, Profitable and Sustainable Agricultural Sector” and the Global
Climate Change Protocols
as recommended by the United Nations Convention on Climate Change.

Downloadable versions of the Guidelines for Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation in the Agricultural Sector Policies and Plans are accessible below:

396 Downloads
Above: Stakeholders at the official launch of the Plan and Guidelines. The Plan and Guidelines for Mainstreaming were developed in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) through the Policy Action for Climate Change Adaptation Project (PACCA) and USAID Uganda Feed the Future Enabling Environment for Agriculture Activity (USAID- EEA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
Above: Site clearing for irrigation schemes being established through the Department of Agricultural Infrastructure, Mechanisation and Water for Agricultural Production.

Through the Department over the last Financial Year alone, the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries supervised Construction of six irrigation schemes of Wadelai, Torchi, Mobuku ll, Doho ll, Ngenge and Rwengaaju.

By the end of June 2019 the construction works had covered 62.8% of DohoII in Butaleja (1,178 ha), 54.0% of Mubuku II in Kasese (480 ha), 32.5% of Wadelai in Nebbi District (1,000 ha), 73.4% of Torchi in Oyam District (500 ha), 68.0% of Ngenge in Kween District (880ha) and 58.0% of Rwengaaju in Kabarole district (116 ha) .

In addition to that, the Ministry has completed design and construction of 50 small scale irrigation and water harvesting demonstrations in selected districts of Kyenjojo, Kamwenge, Kyegegwa, Kabale, Rukiga, Rubanda, Kiryandongo, Bulisa, Kagadi, Hoima, Mbale, Bulambuli, Manafwa, Bududa, Kamuli, Mbarara, Kirihura, Isingiro,  Nebbi,  and Zombo districts under the 9 ZARDIs.

These demonstrations benefit 300 registered farmer groups that live around the nine Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institutes (ZARDIs) in the selected pilot districts.

The Ministry has also designed and constructed 15 solar powered irrigation systems in 13 Districts which include Katakwi, Kibuku, Kamuli, Bukedea, Buikwe, Kayunga, Mpigi, Lyantonde, Kiruhura, Mbarara, Kamwenge, Rubirizi and Mukono under the NAADS program.

To further improve irrigation for Coffee, the Ministry completed design of 15 smallholder coffee irrigation systems (167 ha) in the 8 districts of Mpigi (2), Kalungu (3), Masaka (2), Rakai (2), Kyotera (1), Mubende (2), Kassanda (1) and Kyenjojo (3) under the Agriculture Cluster Development Project (ACDP).

In addition to that, construction of 7 solar powered irrigation systems at Bulindi, Rwebitaba, Abi, Buginyanya, Nabiun, Mukono and Ngetta Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institutes (ZARDIs) is also ongoing.

Ongoing work in improving availability and access to water for agricultural production

To date, the Ministry has completed detailed engineering designs for Acomai irrigation Scheme in Bukedea and Bulambuli Districts (1,480ha and 1,600 households); Atari Irrigation scheme in Kween/Bulambuli District (680ha and 2,667 households).

The work done by Government through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to increase availability and access to water for Agricultural Production is being accompanied by increased training on Climate Smart Agriculture through the Agricultural Extension System, among other approaches.

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 media accreditation, contact Mr. Solomon Kalema Musisi – Senior Communications Officer, Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries. Email: [email protected]