The Minister of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze has disclosed government’s strategy to establish more mechanization centers with the aim of supporting farmers and promoting agriculture.
Minister Tumwebaze was presenting at a 10-days mid-term government performance retreat of the NRM Parliamentary Caucus, at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi on Tuesday, May 30, 2023.
During the presentation, the Minister unveiled government’s commitment to resuscitate the zonal mechanization centers, with Namalele being the referral center.
Minister Tumwebaze added that the zonal mechanization centers will be built and equipped with maintenance workshops and training facilities for operators.
“The study established that we need to revive and equip the zonal mechanization centers as they used to be there in the colonial days, starting with Namalele as the referral center. The centers will be equipped with maintenance workshops/garages and have training facilities for the operators,” Tumwebaze said.
He noted that the high power tractors of 90HP and above, with bush clearing equipment will be available for hire to farmers near the centers to use at subsidized rates, which will help farmers with large farms avoid purchasing expensive machines.
The minister said that Cabinet approved the establishment of 19 zonal mechanization centers like Buwama, Nshara, Soroti, Agwata Mbale, among others.
He revealed that the construction of Mbale, Agwata and Buwama is ongoing, and they will be equipped with the machines. Adding that Climate Smarter Agriculture project will build and equip most of the centers once approved by Cabinet.
Minister Tumwebaze revealed that the government is set to give 1000 tractors each year and ensure that every sub-county acquires at least one tractor, and later parishes.
He said that the plan follows the inadequate tractors in the country, some groups and individual’s acquiring tractors without need for them, and inadequate maintenance of the available tractors, among others.
“Two years ago, we carried out a baseline assessment to determine the available mechanization strategy of the country and identifying gap. It was established that we didn’t have enough functional tractors in the country, problem of maintenance of tractors, while some groups and individuals had got tractors without having need for them thus failed to maintain them,” Minister Tumwebaze said.
A criteria is followed to support beneficiary farming entities and individuals with tractors. According to the minister, the criteria of giving out tractors is based on the availability of demand to avoid under utilization, adding that in the next three years, over 3000 tractors will be given.
Since independence, Uganda had a total stock of about 4800 tractors which were both privately owned and government given. But only 700 tractors were in usable state. A baseline assessment was later undertaken by the government through Ministry of Agriculture in 2021, to determine the available mechanization strategy of the country. In three years, 300 tractors were given to the mechanization centers.
