Isingiro District has undergone a profound transformation in agricultural productivity and infrastructure due to the Agriculture Cluster Development Project (ACDP).
Launched in 2017 and extended to May 2024, the project, supported by the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank, was designed to enhance agricultural output, improve marketing strategies, and refine post-harvest handling across Uganda.
Patrick Tumwesigye, the District Agricultural Officer, says that the primary objective of ACDP is to elevate on-farm productivity, production, and marketable volumes of selected agricultural commodities within designated clusters.
To achieve this, the project focuses on several specific goals: intensifying on-farm production, enhancing marketing and post-harvest handling, eliminating bottlenecks in rural access roads, and developing institutional frameworks to support these efforts.
He said that in Isingiro District, the project has seen considerable success. The registration of 647 farmer groups and 27,081 individual farmers (18,904 women and 8,177 men) was a great milestone.
Additionally, 12,549 farmers (6,532 men and 6,017 women) were enrolled, surpassing the target.
The project’s focus commodities, beans and coffee, have seen a robust uptake, with 9,298 beneficiaries for beans and 1,679 for coffee.
Demonstration gardens established for both beans and coffee have successfully showcased best practices in agronomy, pest management, and soil conservation.
Speaking to the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer of Isingiro District, Leonard Ahimbisibwe, he said that “the project strengthened value addition and market access by providing matching grants to nine farmer organizations for building storage and value addition facilities.”
He added that infrastructure development, which included the rehabilitation of 44.8 kilometers of farm access roads, significantly improved transport and accessibility for farmers.
One of the most compelling success stories from Isingiro District is that of Kansiime Joy, a farmer from Isingiro Town Council. Initially facing challenges with low yields and income, Kansiime’s participation in ACDP has transformed her agricultural practices.
Kansiime said that before joining the project, her yields were between 200 and 250 kg per acre. With the support of ACDP, including high-quality seeds and fertilizers, her yields increased to 700–800 kg per acre.
This improvement has resulted in a substantial increase in income, from a modest amount to Ugx 2,450,000 per acre, greatly enhancing her household’s food security and financial stability.
Despite experiencing delays due to the E-Voucher system breakdowns, Kansiime is enthusiastic about continuing with the program because of the substantial benefits it offers in terms of quality inputs and cost subsidies.
Patrick Tumwesigye urged the government to consider adopting the ACDP model for other projects. He emphasized that farmers were more invested in and appreciative of the project due to their 33% contribution, which leveraged a 67% subsidy from the government.
This shared investment is a key factor in the project’s successful outcomes.
